Functional virus-based polymer-protein nanoparticles by atom transfer radical polymerization.

Viruses and virus-like particles (VLPs) are useful tools in biomedical research. Their defined structural attributes make them attractive platforms for engineered interactions over large molecular surface areas. In this report, we describe the use of VLPs as multivalent macroinitiators for atom transfer radical polymerization. The introduction of chemically reactive monomers during polymerization provides a robust platform for post-synthetic modification via the copper-catalyzed azide–alkyne cycloaddition reaction. These results provide the basis to construct nanoparticle delivery vehicles and imaging agents using protein–polymer conjugates.