Large nanodiscs going viral.

Covalently circularized and DNA-corralled nanodisc technologies have enabled engineering of large-sized bilayer nanodiscs up to 90nm. These large nanodiscs have the potential to extend the applicability of nanodisc technology from studying small and medium-sized membrane proteins to acting as surrogate membranes to investigate functional and structural aspects of viral entry. Here, we discuss the recent technical developments leading to construction of large circularized and DNA-corralled nanodiscs and examine their application in viral entry.