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Review
. 2024:105:693-741.
doi: 10.1007/978-3-031-65187-8_19.

Theoretical Studies on Assembly, Physical Stability, and Dynamics of Viruses

Antoni Luque  1 , David Reguera  2   3
Affiliations
Review

Theoretical Studies on Assembly, Physical Stability, and Dynamics of Viruses

Antoni Luque et al. Subcell Biochem. 2024.

Abstract

All matter must obey the general laws of physics and living matter is not an exception. Viruses have not only learnt how to cope with them but have managed to use them for their own survival. In this chapter, we will review some of the exciting physics that are behind viruses and discuss simple physical models that can shed some light on different aspects of the viral life cycle and viral properties. In particular, we will focus on how the structure and shape of the viral capsid, its assembly and stability, and the entry and exit of viral particles and their genomes can be explained using fundamental physics theories.

Keywords: Bacteriophage; Biophysics; Budding; Capsid; Continuum elasticity theory; DNA; Electrostatics; Nucleation; Pressure; RNA; Self-assembly; Statistical mechanics; Virus; Wrapping.

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