Gold adds the shine of reversible assembly to protein cages

An international team including researchers from the University of Tsukuba has shown the reversible self-assembly of protein cages using gold ions to direct the process. The team designed protein building blocks that formed 3D structures in the presence of gold ions and could be disassembled in the presence of reducing agents, exhibiting smart behavior attractive for cargo delivery applications. The cages were also found to exhibit an architecture believed to be unique in nature.