Mathematics joins biology in nanoparticle vaccine design

Researchers at the Universities of York and Torino have used mathematics as a tool to provide precise details of the structure of protein nanoparticles, potentially making them more useful in vaccine design. Working with a team at the University of Connecticut that focused on the development of self-assembling protein nanoparticles (SAPNs) for vaccine design, they have used advanced mathematical calculations to create a complete picture of the surface morphology of these particles. The study (“Principles Governing the Self-Assembly of Coiled-Coil Nanoparticles”) is published in the Biophysical Journal. The nanoparticles self-assemble symmetrically using protein building blocks to create cage or shell-like architectures, which serve a range of functions such as storage, catalysis and structural scaffolding, or as enclosures for viral genomes. But electron microscopy and neutron scattering data has limited effectiveness for researchers attempting to classify the morphology of the nanoparticles, according to the scientists. Using mathematics to predict the geometries of nanoparticles...