Modification of an enveloped measles virus was achieved by metabolic incorporation of azido sugars in host cells through the protein glycosylation process. Based on this, the resulting measles virus particles could be modified with azido groups on the surface glycoproteins, which could be further labeled with fluorescence dyes using a strain-promoted azide–alkyne cycloaddition reaction. We envision this metabolic labeling approach to be applicable to a wide variety of enveloped viruses, allowing the facile conjugation and surface modification.

We report here the synthesis of a light- and chemical-responsive supramolecular hydrogel of bacteriophage M13 and hyaluronan locked by the molecular recognition between β-cyclodextrin and trans-azobenzene moieties. Compared to rod-like tobacco mosaic virus (TMV), the filamentous bacteriophage M13 with higher aspect ratio and more flexible structure formed a much more robust hydrogel with hyaluronan, which was confirmed by the inversion test and rheological measurement. The resulting M13 hydrogel showed sol–gel transition behaviours induced by either photo-irradiation or competitive host or guest molecules. Moreover, cells could be facilely encapsulated and delivered using this supramolecular hydrogel with great cell viability.

Viral nanoparticles (VNPs) can serve as effective carriers for small molecular haptens with improved humoral immune responses in mice, which is dependent on their shapes. We observed that rod-shaped VNPs elicited higher antibody titers with high specificity compared to spherical VNPs.

Mini cyclic proteins, members of the family of cyclotides, can stabilize oil-in-water emulsions by forming a single layer assembly at the oil–water interface. Such emulsions can be potentially employed to deliver hydrophobic bioactive cargos.

Using a one-pot approach driven by the supramolecular interaction between β-cyclodextrin and adamantyl moieties, multifunctional viral nanoparticles can be facilely formulated for biomedical applications.

A novel glycoprotein film was assembled from pig gastric mucin and poly(acrylamide-co-3-acrylamidophenylboronic acid) using a layer-by-layer technique, driven by the formation of boronate ester bonds between the boronic acid units and the polyols. The assembly was monitored by quartz crystal microbalance and UV-vis spectroscopy. The film thickness is increased with increasing the ionic strength and the pH of assembly solutions. Furthermore, the dynamic response of the assembled film to the presence of glucose was monitored in real time using quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation. Glucose competes with pig gastric mucin to bind with the boronic acid units in the multilayer film, resulting in its disassembly, and the disassembly rate is a function of the glucose concentration. The film is also sensitive to glucose at physiological conditions, albeit the response is weaker and slower than that at higher pH. This glucose-sensitive glycoprotein multilayer film can therefore be applied in glucose sensing and self-regulated insulin release systems.

Highly-ordered, parallel gradient P3HT stripes are fabricated through a facile deposition method based on controlled evaporative self-assembly (CESA). Confocal polarized Raman spectroscopy is employed to determine the orientation of P3HT chains in individual stripes and spacing. This is the first report on orientation at the molecular level, beyond sole morphology, in the patterns assembled by CESA. P3HT chains tend to aggregate into one-dimensional nanowhiskers in solution upon aging, leading to a time-evolved dispersion composed of isolated chains and nanowhiskers. A corresponding evolution of morphology and molecular orientation in the obtained patterns is observed when assembling P3HT solutions with different aging times. The stripes evolve gradually from slim stripes with fingering instabilities for fresh solution into highly regular, perfect stripes for sufficiently aged solution. In the stripe region, P3HT backbone chains align parallel to the contact line for fresh solution whereas perpendicular for aged solution. The thermodynamic multicomponent system gives greater variety to the CESA study.

Using a one-pot approach driven by the supramolecular interaction between β-cyclodextrin and adamantyl moieties, multifunctional viral nanoparticles can be facilely formulated for biomedical applications.

A novel glycoprotein film was assembled from pig gastric mucin and poly(acrylamide-co-3-acrylamidophenylboronic acid) using a layer-by-layer technique, driven by the formation of boronate ester bonds between the boronic acid units and the polyols. The assembly was monitored by quartz crystal microbalance and UV-vis spectroscopy. The film thickness is increased with increasing the ionic strength and the pH of assembly solutions. Furthermore, the dynamic response of the assembled film to the presence of glucose was monitored in real time using quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation. Glucose competes with pig gastric mucin to bind with the boronic acid units in the multilayer film, resulting in its disassembly, and the disassembly rate is a function of the glucose concentration. The film is also sensitive to glucose at physiological conditions, albeit the response is weaker and slower than that at higher pH. This glucose-sensitive glycoprotein multilayer film can therefore be applied in glucose sensing and self-regulated insulin release systems.

Highly-ordered, parallel gradient P3HT stripes are fabricated through a facile deposition method based on controlled evaporative self-assembly (CESA). Confocal polarized Raman spectroscopy is employed to determine the orientation of P3HT chains in individual stripes and spacing. This is the first report on orientation at the molecular level, beyond sole morphology, in the patterns assembled by CESA. P3HT chains tend to aggregate into one-dimensional nanowhiskers in solution upon aging, leading to a time-evolved dispersion composed of isolated chains and nanowhiskers. A corresponding evolution of morphology and molecular orientation in the obtained patterns is observed when assembling P3HT solutions with different aging times. The stripes evolve gradually from slim stripes with fingering instabilities for fresh solution into highly regular, perfect stripes for sufficiently aged solution. In the stripe region, P3HT backbone chains align parallel to the contact line for fresh solution whereas perpendicular for aged solution. The thermodynamic multicomponent system gives greater variety to the CESA study.