Engineered bacteriophage T4 nanoparticles for cellular imaging

Tailless T4 nanoparticles (NPs) have large surface areas consisting of more than 10(5) diverse surface reactive groups and offer great flexibility in chemical modification for tailoring the desired functionality. Dye-conjugated T4 NPs exhibiting bright fluorescence are biocompatible and can be internalized by various eukaryotic cells which land themselves as excellent cellular imaging agents. Here, we describe the preparation of engineered T4 NPs including dye-conjugation and characterization, and the procedure for cellular uptake and confocal microscopy.