Engineered fd phages bind copper ions for possible bioremediation

Researchers at KIST Europe genetically modified filamentous fd phages to display shortened versions of a Cu(II)-specific peptide (HGFANVA). ICP-MS analyses showed improved Cu(II) binding by the engineered phages compared with wild-type fd, and the authors suggest such virus-based biomaterials could be applied to bioremediation of metal species from environmental samples.