ch. 1. An introduction to VNPs and nanotechnology -- ch. 2. Overview of the manifold VNPs used in nanotechnology -- ch. 3. Production of VNPs, VLPs, and chimeras -- ch. 4. The art of bioconjugation : functionalization of VNPs -- ch. 5. Encapsulating materials within VNPs -- ch. 6. VNPs as templates for materials synthesis -- ch. 7. Playing "nano-lego" : VNPs as building blocks for the construction of multi-dimensional arrays -- ch. 8. VNPs as tools for nanomedicine -- ch. 9. Summary and outlook.