Nanostructured virus crystals for X-ray optics

Certain virus structures can be assembled in the form of a periodic lattice with nanometer-range ordering. Cowpea mosaic virus is crystallized in body-centered-cubic geometry and used as a template for fabrication of metallized thin films with three-dimensional morphology. Calculations predict that these crystals exhibit a normal-incidence reflectivity of 7% for wavelengths around 35 nm, which can be utilized for soft X-ray optical systems.