Design and Applications of Protein‐Cage‐Based Nanomaterials

Abstract Materials science is beginning to focus on biotemplation, and in support of that trend, it is realized that protein cages—proteins that assemble from multiple monomers into architectures with hollow interiors—can instill a number of unique advantages to nanomaterials. In addition, the structural and functional plasticity of many protein‐cage systems permits their engineering for specific applications. In this review, the most commonly used viral and non‐viral protein cages, which exhibit a wide diversity of size, functionality, and chemical and thermal stabilities, are described. Moreover, how they have been exploited for nanomaterial and nanotechnology applications is summarized.