Chemical Modification of the Inner and Outer Surfaces of Tobacco Mosaic Virus (TMV)

Viral nanoparticles derived from tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) find applications in various fields. We report the purification and chemical modification of TMV which is a hollow rod-shaped plant viral nanoparticle with modifiable interior and exterior surfaces. We describe methods to isolate TMV from its tobacco plant host for spatially controlled interior and exterior chemical modification and to characterize the resulting TMV hybrid materials.