Environmental Nanobiotechnology: Microbial-Mediated …
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addressing, preserving and sustaining it for the current and next generations. Traditionally, the detection and quantification methods for pollutants are usually analyzed
using conventional chromatography and spectroscopy techniques. Those conventional techniques are considered as time consuming, expensive and require highly
trained persons and expensive equipment. Moreover, the environmental samples
should be transferred into the lab for analysis. Therefore, the researchers focused on
developing unconventional analysis techniques to overcome the problems of previously mentioned traditional methods, the most important of which are biosensors and
nano-biosensors (Matter et al. 2020). The word “sensor” refers to any device that
used to detect or measure an element or parameter as optical, electrical or mechanical signals produced by a specific “receptor” and transmitted through a “transducer” into a “detector” or read-out unit (Arora 2018; Sinha et al. 2020; Matter et al.
2020). Biosensors contain “bio-receptors” that could be specific enzymes, antibodies,
nucleic acid, or even whole (living or dead) cells of microbial, plant or animal origin.
Synthetic molecules such as synthetic antibodies, molecularly imprinted polymers
and aptamers also could be used as bio-receptor elements and called “biomimetic
receptors” (Ejeian et al. 2018; Zare and Shekari 2019; Sinha et al. 2020).
Merging of nanotechnology with the biosensors leads to the emergence of “Nanobiosensors”, in which specific nanomaterials (nanoparticles, nanocomposites and
nanotubes) are incorporated with the bio-receptors, and/or the transducer. The
unique properties of nanomaterials are used to improve sensitivity and efficiency
(by improving signal transformation) as well as reducing the overall size of the
sensor (Ghaffar et al. 2020; Salouti and Derakhshan 2020). Classification of nanobiosensors could be based on the used receptors, signal transduction and applications.
However, based on analysis mechanism of the transducer, nano-biosensors could be
classified into optical, electrochemical and piezoelectric (mass-sensitive) biosensor
(Saini et al. 2017). Biosensors and nano-biosensors could be designed to rapidly
detect and monitor (with adequate accuracy) many of environmental pollutants in
soil, water and air such as pesticides, herbicides and heavy metals. Many promising
nanomaterials have been reported to be emerged successfully on the probes with
conjugation to biomolecules for biochemical assays due to their unique properties
such as large surface area as well as its highly luminescent, electrical, magnetic and
plasmon resonance properties. Commonly, the nanomaterials that were used to manufacture nano-biosensors include magnetic NPs, gold NPs, nano-sized porous alumina,
gold-platinum nanocomposites hybrids, multiwall carbon nanotubes, carbon-NPs
and graphene (Chen et al. 2016; Matter et al. 2020).
Given that the use of nano-biosensors plays a useful role in environmental sustainability by detecting environmental hazardous materials, then the use of nanoparticles green-synthesized by microbes to manufacture these biosensors is considered
more sustainable. Many efforts have been made to synthesize the nano constitute of
nano-biosensors using the action of microorganisms. However, there is no available
evidence according to our current knowledge if the efficiency of nanosensors can be
affected by the way nanoparticles are manufactured, whether chemical, physical or
biological. Magnetic NPs are known to be one of the most common nanoforms in
151
addressing, preserving and sustaining it for the current and next generations. Traditionally, the detection and quantification methods for pollutants are usually analyzed
using conventional chromatography and spectroscopy techniques. Those conventional techniques are considered as time consuming, expensive and require highly
trained persons and expensive equipment. Moreover, the environmental samples
should be transferred into the lab for analysis. Therefore, the researchers focused on
developing unconventional analysis techniques to overcome the problems of previously mentioned traditional methods, the most important of which are biosensors and
nano-biosensors (Matter et al. 2020). The word “sensor” refers to any device that
used to detect or measure an element or parameter as optical, electrical or mechanical signals produced by a specific “receptor” and transmitted through a “transducer” into a “detector” or read-out unit (Arora 2018; Sinha et al. 2020; Matter et al.
2020). Biosensors contain “bio-receptors” that could be specific enzymes, antibodies,
nucleic acid, or even whole (living or dead) cells of microbial, plant or animal origin.
Synthetic molecules such as synthetic antibodies, molecularly imprinted polymers
and aptamers also could be used as bio-receptor elements and called “biomimetic
receptors” (Ejeian et al. 2018; Zare and Shekari 2019; Sinha et al. 2020).
Merging of nanotechnology with the biosensors leads to the emergence of “Nanobiosensors”, in which specific nanomaterials (nanoparticles, nanocomposites and
nanotubes) are incorporated with the bio-receptors, and/or the transducer. The
unique properties of nanomaterials are used to improve sensitivity and efficiency
(by improving signal transformation) as well as reducing the overall size of the
sensor (Ghaffar et al. 2020; Salouti and Derakhshan 2020). Classification of nanobiosensors could be based on the used receptors, signal transduction and applications.
However, based on analysis mechanism of the transducer, nano-biosensors could be
classified into optical, electrochemical and piezoelectric (mass-sensitive) biosensor
(Saini et al. 2017). Biosensors and nano-biosensors could be designed to rapidly
detect and monitor (with adequate accuracy) many of environmental pollutants in
soil, water and air such as pesticides, herbicides and heavy metals. Many promising
nanomaterials have been reported to be emerged successfully on the probes with
conjugation to biomolecules for biochemical assays due to their unique properties
such as large surface area as well as its highly luminescent, electrical, magnetic and
plasmon resonance properties. Commonly, the nanomaterials that were used to manufacture nano-biosensors include magnetic NPs, gold NPs, nano-sized porous alumina,
gold-platinum nanocomposites hybrids, multiwall carbon nanotubes, carbon-NPs
and graphene (Chen et al. 2016; Matter et al. 2020).
Given that the use of nano-biosensors plays a useful role in environmental sustainability by detecting environmental hazardous materials, then the use of nanoparticles green-synthesized by microbes to manufacture these biosensors is considered
more sustainable. Many efforts have been made to synthesize the nano constitute of
nano-biosensors using the action of microorganisms. However, there is no available
evidence according to our current knowledge if the efficiency of nanosensors can be
affected by the way nanoparticles are manufactured, whether chemical, physical or
biological. Magnetic NPs are known to be one of the most common nanoforms in