The Douglas group has pioneered the use of viruses as supramolecular platforms for synthetic manipulation with a range of applications from materials to medicine. Through understanding the inherent properties of these cage-like architectures, which include high symmetry and self-assembly, we have exploited their use as synthetic templates for modification and molecular design. An appreciation of these properties has resulted in a paradigm shift from the study of viruses as purely disease causing agents to highly useful supramolecular assemblies, which can be chemically and genetically modified. Future synthetic manipulation can impart new function to these architectures, combining the best of evolution and directed synthetic design. This work is providing new avenues of exploration in a variety of areas and is exciting for its interdisciplinary impact and applications.
Read more in the Research section.