Synthetic Plant Virology

In cooperation with physicists, chemists and engineers, self-assembling virus derivatives (derived from plant RNA viruses such as Tobacco Mosaic Virus TMV) are "tailor made" for biotechnology applications in nanotechnology. This is among others, perforated disks, nanotubes of various lengths and rods with different reactive groups. These are used as biotemplates for chemical modifications - e.g. for the nanowire production in the inner channel, metallization and semiconductor deposits on the outer shell, polymer coatings, etc. The modified products are analyzed using state-of-the-art techniques (eg. variants of atomic force microscopy, with cooperation partners) and their use as nanoscale building blocks for analytical, technical and therapeutic applications and as part of new classes of materials.

These investigations are being driven forward in cooperation projects with four German Max Planck Institutes, several universities and research centers in the "Competence Network Functional Nanostructures Baden-Württemberg" and the DFG priority program "Nanowires and Nanotubes" and international partners.