Phage systems, like M13, have been employed in biotechnological applications, most prominently in the identification and maturation of medically-relevant binding molecules through phage display. The application of phages in materials and nanotechnology is mainly due to their nanoscale size and simple life cycles. We choose to use those application in our advantage in order to target Xylella fastidiosa and other pathogenic bacteria.

Phages-like particules design

Bacteriophages are capable of expressing their genomes, and generating new copies of themselves. We choose to limit the phage ability to reproduce itself in order to contain it. As it is possible to produce recombinant viruses that express foreign proteins, it is possible to restrain their capacity to reproduce themself. ^[1]

Virus-like particles (VLPs) are multiprotein structures that mimic the organization and conformation of authentic native viruses but lack the viral genome. They have been applied not only as prophylactic and therapeutic vaccines but also as vehicles in drug and gene delivery and, more recently, as tools in nanobiotechnology. ^[1]

In this project, we want to creat a M13-like phage like particle, in order to inject toxin in the bacterium.

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References

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} Roldão, A., Silva, A. C., Mellado, M. C. M., Alves, P. M. & Carrondo, M. J. T. Viruses and Virus-Like Particles in Biotechnology: Fundamentals and Applications. in Reference Module in Life Sciences (Elsevier, 2017).