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In Vitro Disassembly of Influenza A Virus Capsids by Gradient Centrifugation
Published on: March 27, 2016
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Virus Capsid Modifications Accompanying Inactivation during Iron Electrocoagulation Revealed by Proteomics, Infrared
Akshat Verma1, Shankararaman Chellam1,2
1Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843-3136, United States.
Environmental Science & Technology
|December 31, 2025
Summary
Electrocoagulation using iron effectively inactivated MS2 coliphage in wastewater, achieving high virus reduction values. This process damages viral proteins via reactive oxygen species, offering a promising method for safe water reuse.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Water Treatment Technologies
- Virology
Background:
- Municipal wastewater reuse is crucial for meeting drinking water demands, requiring high virus removal.
- Electrified water treatment processes are emerging as efficient disinfection methods.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the efficacy of electrocoagulation for virus inactivation in wastewater.
- To elucidate the mechanisms behind virus inactivation during electrocoagulation.
Main Methods:
- Electrocoagulation using a low-carbon steel anode and graphite cathode at specific pH and iron doses.
- Analysis of viral inactivation using MS2 coliphage and Log Reduction Values (LRVs).
- Characterization of viral protein damage using MALDI-TOF-MS, DFT calculations, and infrared spectroscopy.
Main Results:
- Electrocoagulation achieved >6.7 LRVs for MS2 coliphage in 11.5 minutes.
- MALDI-TOF-MS revealed oxygen adducts and mass shifts in viral coat proteins.
- Inactivation correlated with ROS-induced capsid damage and alterations in viral protein secondary structure.
Conclusions:
- Iron electrocoagulation effectively removes and inactivates viruses in wastewater.
- Reactive oxygen species play a key role in damaging viral coat proteins.
- This method shows potential for advanced wastewater treatment and safe water reuse.
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