Main description:

This book explores a new challenge in virology: to understand how physical properties of virus particles (virions) and viruses (infected cells) affect the course of an infection. Insights from the emerging field of physical virology will contribute to understanding of the physical nature of viruses and cells, and will open new ways for anti-viral interference.

Nine chapters and an editorial written by physicists, chemists, biologists and computational experts describe how virions serve as trail blazers in uncharted territory of cells. The authors outline how particles change in composition as they interact with host cells. Such virus dynamics are crucial for virus entry into cells and infection. It influences the modern concepts of virus-host interactions, viral lineages and evolution.

The volume gives numerous up-to-date examples of modern virology and provides a fascinating read for researchers, clinicians and students in the field of infectious diseases.

Contents:

Editorial: Physical Virology and the Nature of Virus Infections.- Single Virion Tracking Microscopy for the Study of Virus Entry Processes in Live Cells and Biomimetic Platforms.- Structural Insights into Rotavirus Entry.- The HIV-1 Capsid: More than Just a Delivery Package.- Membrane-Containing Icosahedral Bacteriophage PRD1: The Dawn of Viral Lineages.- Structure and Function of Negri Bodies.- Virus Maturation.- Atomic Force Microscopy of Viruses.- Alkalinization of Icosahedral Non-enveloped Viral Capsid Interior Through Proton Channeling.- Computational Virology: Molecular Simulations of Virus Dynamics and Interactions.