Determination and characterisation of the surface charge properties of the bacteriophage M13 to assist bio-nanoengineering.

To truly understand the mechanisms behind the supramolecular self-assembly of nanocomponents, the characterisation of their surface properties is crucial. M13 emerged as a practical nanocomponent for bio-nanoassemblies of functional materials and devices, and its popularity is increasing as time goes by. The investigation performed in this study provides important information about the surface charge and the surface area of M13 determined through the comparison of structural data and the measurement of ζ-potential at pH ranging between 2 and 11. The developed methodologies along with the experimental findings can be subsequently exploited as a novel and convenient prediction tool of the total charge of modified versions of M13. This, in turn, will facilitate the design of the self-assembly strategies which would combine the virus building block with other micro and nano components via intermolecular interactions. This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.