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A display platform with viruses containing cell binding sequences can be utilized to study how these ligands with nanoscale ordering can affect cell adhesion, spreading and mesenchymal stem cell differentiation. Previous studies have largely relied on polymeric display systems with clusters of ligands to probe cellular response, but the spatial resolution of polymeric display is limited due to its heterogeneity. The virus display system, being a monodispersed particle, is an ideal tool that allows for superior nanometer scale control. Our findings with the virus-display system reveal that ligand clusters spaced with 2-3 nanometers result in cellular morphological changes, starting from adhesion to spreading, as well as cell differentiation. These results suggest that clusters of ligands on the viruses induce different cellular activities by activating a cluster of the receptors versus a single ligand/receptor event. These cellular events could lead to new insights to some of the fundamental questions in cell differentiation, tumorigenesis and tissue/organ development.

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Lim Lee was born in South Korea and grew up in southern California. He attended University of California, San Diego for Bachelor of Science in Animal Physiology and Neuroscience. He obtained his doctoral degree in Chemistry at University of South Carolina with emphasis on use of viruses as nanoscale materials.

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