Use of Physical Methods for the Development of a Protocol for the Purification of Virus-Like Particles Based on the Bacteriophage MS2 Capsid Protein

Samples of self-assembled particles based on the capsid protein of bacteriophage MS2 were obtained using different purification protocols and characterized. The study demonstrates the feasibility of using a combination of electron microscopy and small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) to select the optimal purification protocol. Electron microscopy allows the evaluation of self-assembly, while SAXS helps to estimate the statistical distribution of particles of different shapes and sizes in a sample. The best results were obtained using the PEG precipitation in combination with gel filtration and ultrafiltration.