Micelle formation and crystallization as paradigms for virus assembly

Self-assembly processes of crystallization, micelle formation and virus assembly, by their creation of geometric order from disordered components, represent first-order phase transitions that arise through the formation of partially ordered intermediates. The self-assembly of protein subunits into the geometric shells of polyhedral viruses may proceed through formation of reverse micelles, and be driven by condensation of encapsidated nucleic...