Viruses have self-organizing, symmetrical, and monodisperse architectures. These structures are dynamic and, in some cases, the dynamics are regulatable. These properties make viruses successful parasites. A growing community of scientists in diverse fields has now turned the tables on viruses, taking advantage of viruses as therapeutic vectors, imaging agents, scaffolding for nanostructures, components in larger constructions, and as microreactors. There have been tremendous advances in the design of new materials by using biological self-assembly and concepts derived from biological models. The underlying science has been investigated by mathematicians, physicists, chemists, material scientists, and biologists. This diversity is a strength because of the breadth of perspectives but poses challenges because of the poor communication between disciplines. The field is changing at a pace that will be hard to maintain unless we find a common ground. The goal of this conference is to bring together, for a first time, the physical, biological, and materials perspectives that are rapidly shaping the field of viruses as physical functional systems.