Synthetic Protein Nanotubes: A Generic Self‐Assembly Process in Microcompartments and Synthetic Protein Nanotubes (Small 19/2018)

In article number 1704020 , Richard W. Pickersgill and co‐workers uncover the orientation of shell proteins within synthetic protein nanotubes and bacterial microcompartments. The proteins form hexameric, or pseudo‐hexameric, disks which tessellate to form the nanostructures. The characteristics of the disks edges dictate that the concave surface of the disks faces exteriorly. An understanding of the orientation of these disks is crucial for biotechnological applications where nanobodies and enzymes are selectively targeted to the inside or outside of these structures.