Failure of viral shells

Submitted by Ajaykumar Gopal on Mon, 07/07/2008 - 16:01.
Tags:

Publication Type:

Journal Article

Authors:

Klug, W.S.; Bruinsma, R.F.; Michel, J.; Knobler, C.M.; Ivanovska, I.L.; Schmidt, C.F.; Wuite, G.J.L.

Source:

PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS, AMERICAN PHYSICAL SOC, Volume 97, Number 22, ONE PHYSICS ELLIPSE, COLLEGE PK, MD 20740-3844 USA (2006)

URL:

http://dx.doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.97.228101

Keywords:

CHLOROTIC MOTTLE VIRUS; MICROSCOPY; CAPSIDS

Abstract:

We report a combined theoretical and experimental study of the structural failure of viral shells under mechanical stress. We find that discontinuities in the force-indentation curve associated with failure should appear when the so-called Foppl-von Karman (FvK) number exceeds a critical value. A nanoindentation study of a viral shell subject to a soft-mode instability, where the stiffness of the shell decreases with increasing pH, confirms the predicted onset of failure as a function of the FvK number.