The structure of the ribonucleoprotein (RNP) complex of three coronaviruses was investigated. A single-stranded helix of diam. 14 to 16 nm and up to 320 nm in length was released from disrupted particles of human coronavirus strain 229E and mouse hepatitis virus strain 3 after incubation in mild conditions. The helical complexes appeared to be composed of globular subunits with long axes of 5 t...

Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is becoming a global concern due to the increasing number of outbreaks throughout the world and the absence of any CHIKV-specific vaccine or treatment. Virus-like particles (VLPs) are multistructured proteins that mimic the organization and conformation of native viruses but lack the viral genome. They are noninfectious and potentially safer vaccine candidates. Recent ...

Bicontinuous interfacially jammed emulsion gels, in short 'bijels', rely on a trapped layer of colloidal particles for their stability. These structures have traditionally been created using spherical colloidal particles. Here we show for the first time the use of rod-shape particles to stabilize bijels. We show that domain size decreases more rapidly with particle concentration in the case of ...

Some aspects of hadron spectroscopy are reviewed as of summer 2005.

This study concerns the self-assembly of virus-like particles (VLPs) composed of an icosahedral virus protein coat encapsulating a functionalized spherical nanoparticle core. The recent development of efficient methods for VLP self-assembly has opened the way to structural studies. Using electron microscopy with image reconstruction, the structures of several VLPs obtained from brome mosaic vir...

We examine the phase behaviour of colloidal suspensions of hard board-like particles (HBPs) as a function of their shape anisotropy, and observe a fascinating spectrum of nematic, smectic, and columnar liquid-crystalline phases, whose formation is entirely driven by excluded volume effects. We map out the phase diagram of short and long HBPs by gradually modifying their shape from prolate to ob...

Stellar energy loss arguments lead to strong constraints on the coupling φγγ of a light axion-like particle to two photons. Helioscopes, like CAST, are able to put competitive bounds. The PVLAS experiment has recently observed a rotation of the polarization of a laser propagating in a magnetic field that can be interpreted as the effect of a quite strong φγγ coupling. We present scenarios where...

Nipah virus (NiV) was first recognized in 1998 in a zoonotic disease outbreak associated with highly lethal febrile encephalitis in humans and a predominantly respiratory disease in pigs. Periodic deadly outbreaks, documentation of person-to-person transmission, and the potential of this virus as an agent of agroterror reinforce the need for effective means of therapy and prevention. In this re...

Over the years, researchers have developed several methods to deliver macromolecules into the cytosol and nucleus of living cells. However, there are limitations to all of these methods. The problems include (i) inefficient uptake, (ii) endosomal entrapment, (iii) delivery that is restricted to certain cell types, and (iv) damage to cells in the delivery process. Retroviral vectors are often us...

During the period from August 1997 to March 1998, two thousand samples of cultured Penaeus semisulcatus postlarvae and subadults were collected from five hatcheries and 20 growout farms distributed in three provinces along the costs of Persian Gulf and the Oman Sea. Based on growth signs, LM and TEM histopathology, Hepatopancreatic Parvo-like Virus (HPV) were identified from the samples. The HP...