ABSTRACT
Viruses were initially identified as disease-causing agents for many existing living organisms. However, over the past few decades, viruses are now recognized as a functional tool in fields ranging from biopharmaceutical production to nanotechnology. Previous concepts regarding viruses began to change in the 1970s, when they were found to function as effective tools for a variety of functions (Goff and Berg 1976). Today, viral nanoparticles (VNPs) are being studied for their potential due to their uniformity with respect to shape and size, and properties such as stability under a range of pH, temperature, salt and solvent concentrations. The following chapter details the applications for expression vectors and nanoparticles based on plant viruses.
