Physical Virology—Viral Ways for Navigating the Space Mesoscale

A special issue of Viruses (ISSN 1999-4915). This special issue belongs to the section "General Virology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 April 2026 | Viewed by 30

Special Issue Editor


E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Chemistry, Indiana University Bloomington, Bloomington, IN, USA
Interests: physical virology; nanophotonics; structural biomaterials

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Most virus particles inhabit the still-uncharted realm of the mesoscale space, between molecular and bulk macroscopic matter. Here, collective effects occur and statistical fluctuations are important, structures have deterministic defects in the ground state, interfacial properties tend to dominate, and characteristic energies typically associated with electrostatic, mechanical, and thermodynamic degrees of freedom coalesce to similar magnitudes. The aim in physical virology is to factor these considerations into our mechanistic understanding of viral infection. In this Special Issue, we will focus on collective molecular phenomena leading to functions in virus-derived protein shells and virus particles that illustrate the rich interplay between physics, chemistry, and biological evolution that has emerged due to viruses having to navigate the rougher seas of the mesoscale space in the extra-cellular environment. We welcome original research articles, reviews, communications, and perspectives and encourage interdisciplinary contributions on physical virology.

Prof. Dr. Bogdan G. Dragnea
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • virus mechanics
  • virus acoustic modes
  • virus assembly thermodynamics
  • virus assembly kinetics
  • protein shell symmetry
  • virus-like particle applications
  • virus–interface interactions

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