Virus passage through compromised low-pressure membranes: A particle tracking model

► Virion passage through compromised membranes was assessed using Lagrangian particle tracking. ► Catastrophic failure was observed in experiments using MS2 and PRD1 bacteriophage. ► A “capture cone” defines virus passage through holes in a membrane surface. ► Brownian motion and membrane resistance affect the size of the capture cone. ► Increased transmembrane pressure decreases the capture cone and virus hole passage.