6
A. Lateef et al.
5 The Confluence: Microbial Nanobiotechnology
Nanomaterials are increasingly being used in new products and devices with a great
impact on different fields from sensoristics to biomedicine. Biosynthesis of nanomaterials by microorganisms is recently attracting interest as a new, exciting approach
towards the development of ‘greener’ nanomanufacturing compared to traditional
chemical and physical approaches. During the last decade, metal nanoparticles have
gained immense popularity due to their characteristic physicochemical properties,
as well as containing antimicrobial, anti-cancer, catalytic, optical, electronic and
magnetic properties. Nanoparticles are biosynthesized when the microorganisms
grab target ions from their environment and then turn the metal ions into the element
metal through enzymes generated by the cell activities. It can be classified into intracellular and extracellular synthesis according to the location where nanoparticles
are formed (Simkiss and Wilbur 1989; Mann 2001). The interrelatedness of microbiology, microbial technology and nanotechnology for the creation of microbial
nanobiotechnology is illustrated in Fig. 2.
Fig. 2 Interrelatedness of microbiology, microbial technology and nanotechnology for the creation
of microbial nanobiotechnology
A. Lateef et al.
5 The Confluence: Microbial Nanobiotechnology
Nanomaterials are increasingly being used in new products and devices with a great
impact on different fields from sensoristics to biomedicine. Biosynthesis of nanomaterials by microorganisms is recently attracting interest as a new, exciting approach
towards the development of ‘greener’ nanomanufacturing compared to traditional
chemical and physical approaches. During the last decade, metal nanoparticles have
gained immense popularity due to their characteristic physicochemical properties,
as well as containing antimicrobial, anti-cancer, catalytic, optical, electronic and
magnetic properties. Nanoparticles are biosynthesized when the microorganisms
grab target ions from their environment and then turn the metal ions into the element
metal through enzymes generated by the cell activities. It can be classified into intracellular and extracellular synthesis according to the location where nanoparticles
are formed (Simkiss and Wilbur 1989; Mann 2001). The interrelatedness of microbiology, microbial technology and nanotechnology for the creation of microbial
nanobiotechnology is illustrated in Fig. 2.
Fig. 2 Interrelatedness of microbiology, microbial technology and nanotechnology for the creation
of microbial nanobiotechnology