Engineering the nanoparticle–protein interface: applications and possibilities

Covalent and non-covalent conjugation of proteins to nanoparticles provides access to functional hybrid systems with applications in biotechnology, medicine, and catalysis. The creation of effective conjugates requires the retention of protein structure and function, a challenging task. In this review we discuss successes, challenges and opportunities in the area of protein–nanoparticle bioconjugation.