During the assembly of dsDNA viruses such as the tailed bacteriophages and herpesviruses, the viral chromosome is compacted to near crystalline density inside a preformed head shell. DNA translocation is driven by powerful ring ATPase motors that couple ATP binding, hydrolysis, and release to force generation and movement. Studies of the motor of the bacteriophage phi29 have revealed a complex mechanochemistry behind this process that slows as the head fills. Recent studies of the physical behavior of packaging DNA suggest that surprisingly long-time scales of relaxation of DNA inside the head and jamming phenomena during packaging create the physical need for regulation of the rate of packaging. Studies of DNA packaging in viral systems have, therefore, revealed fundamental insight into the complex behavior of DNA and the need for biological systems to accommodate these physical constraints.

在装配dsDNA病毒（如尾巴噬菌体和疱疹病毒）的过程中，病毒染色体在预先形成的头壳内部被压缩至接近晶体密度。DNA易位由强大的环ATPase马达驱动，该马达将ATP结合，水解和释放耦合以产生力和运动。对噬菌体phi29的运动进行的研究表明，该过程背后存在复杂的机械化学作用，随着头部充满，这种化学作用会减慢。对包装DNA的物理行为的最新研究表明，包装过程中头部内部DNA松弛的长时间尺度和包装过程中的堵塞现象令人惊讶，这对调节包装速率产生了物理上的需求。因此，研究病毒系统中DNA包装的方法