Artificial Biomimetic Mineralization of Viruses: More than Calcium

Biomineralization is a universal biological phenomenon in which organisms use inorganic minerals to form their own structures. Inspired by the discovery of mineralized phages in nature, the concept of artificial biomimetic viral mineralization is proposed and it is validated using a large panel of viruses. Different viruses can be mineralized under different conditions, and the same virus can be completely mineralized using different inorganic minerals. The biomineralized viruses with unique physical and chemical properties display biological phenotypes distinct from those of their native counterparts during the subsequent infection process. These new features are largely due to the inorganic minerals chosen. Calcium is the most frequently used material for viral mineralization, and other inorganic ions, including silicon, aluminum, and ferrum, have also been utilized. In this review, recent advances in the artificial biomimetic mineralization of viruses are summarized while highlighting the potential applications and challenges in biomedicine.