2013/12/17 by Jef Wagner, Roya Zandi, Wagner, Jef +1 · 1 citation
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology · Engineering · Environmental Science · #Bacteriophages and microbial interactions #Biological Physics (physics.bio-ph) #Biomolecules (q-bio.BM) #Diffusion and Search Dynamics #FOS: Biological sciences #FOS: Physical sciences #Nanopore and Nanochannel Transport Studies #Soft Condensed Matter (cond-mat.soft)
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.1312.4603
openalex publication_date 2013/12/17 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
Highly symmetric nano-shells are found in many biological systems, such as clathrin cages and viral shells. Several studies have shown that symmetric shells appear in nature as a result of the free energy minimization of a generic interaction between their constituent subunits. We examine the physical basis for the formation of symmetric shells, and using a minimal model we demonstrate that these structures can readily grow from identical subunits under non equilibrium conditions. Our model of nano-shell assembly shows that the spontaneous curvature regulates the size of the shell while the mechanical properties of the subunit determines the symmetry of the assembled structure. Understanding the minimum requirements for the formation of closed nano-shells is a necessary step towards engineering of nano-containers, which will have far reaching impact in both material science and medicine.