Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 5, 2026

Delivery of the Cas9/sgRNA Ribonucleoprotein Complex in Immortalized and Primary Cells via Virus-like Particles ("Nanoblades")
Published on: March 31, 2021
Biophysical considerations for designing viruses, lipid nanoparticles and virus-like particles for CRISPR-based
1Department of Biomedical Engineering, National University of Singapore, 117583, Singapore.
None:
CRISPR-based genome editing has opened new pathways towards precision medicine, but its success depends on more than just molecular engineering. Cargo and carrier dynamics are profoundly influenced by the underlying biophysical properties of cells and vectors. Consequently, this domain is moving beyond simple "lock and key" approaches, and towards disease-customised fits. In this review, we examine how biophysical properties of viral vectors, lipid nanoparticles, and hybrid virus-like particles influence editor delivery performance. We examine parameters such as size, cargo capacity, charge, shape, stiffness, membrane composition, internalisation strategies, tropism, endosomal escape, protein corona formation, and immune recognition as key drivers of intelligent, modular engineering. Finally, we explore how the notion of carrier systems shifts in diseased states like solid tumour cancers, autoimmune psoriasis of the skin, and the autosomal monogenic cystic fibrosis, where altered biophysical landscapes demand adaptable, context-informed genome editing solutions.
Related Concept Videos
CRISPR/Cas9 Genome Editing
CRISPR
Size and Structure of Viral Genomes
CRISPR and crRNAs
The CRISPR-Cas system stores a copy of foreign DNA in the host genome and uses it to identify the foreign DNA upon reinfection. CRISPR-Cas has three different...
Viral Structure
Introduction to Virus

