Synthetic virus-like protein complexes could improve drug delivery

In a paper published in Nature, researchers at the University of Washington designed a synthetic RNA-protein complex that, like a virus, can package and protect its own RNA genome, suggesting a novel approach to targeted drug delivery.

The research also has implications for synthetic life, according to study author Marc Lajoie, as the RNA-protein complexes are the first fully synthetic entity to encapsulate its own genome and undergo evolution without requiring existing cells as a template...