Microbial Nanobiotechnology: The Melting Pot …
9
8 Ways Out
To address the challenges as opined by Elegbede and Lateef (2019b), concerted
efforts must be made by scholars, institutions, academic societies, funding agencies and governments to advance the studies of nanotechnology in the developing
nations. Specifically, advances in microbial nanobiotechnology would require greater
efforts, knowing fully that sub-field exists at the interface of nanotechnology and
microbiology. Some of the precise ways to address the challenges are hereby
discussed.
8.1 Curriculum Development
To popularize nanotechnology research among learners of microbiology, there is the
need to re-engineer the curriculum at various levels to incorporate topics on materials
science and nanotechnology to expose the learners to nanotechnology and expand
their horizons. At undergraduate level, nanobiotechnology can be infused into relevant courses such as biotechnology or an introductory course on nanobiotechnology
can be created at higher level. At postgraduate level, it would be imperative to have
a course on nanobiotechnology. Among other things, the courses could cover topics
such as:
• Introduction to nanotechnology and historical perspectives.
• Overview of nanomaterials (natural and man-made), types, sources and properties
(physical, chemical and biological).
• Overview of fabrication of nanomaterials by physical, chemical and biological
methods.
• Characterization techniques in nanotechnology.
• Biosynthesis of nanomaterials using plant, animal and microbial resources—
advantages of bio-, green, one-pot, facile and benign synthesis.
• Strategies to produce tuned microbe-mediated nanomaterials: optimization
studies and genetic engineering.
• A survey of applications of nanomaterials in different areas of human endeavours.
• Nanotoxicity and nanotoxicology.
• Fate of nanomaterials in the environment and safety concerns.
• Nanotechnology and sustainable development.
• Practical sessions on green synthesis of nanomaterials and applications.
Suffice to state that curriculum development and curriculum re-engineering
approaches have been deployed to address the gap in the curriculum of science
subjects at secondary school and engineering courses at tertiary institutions in
different countries to promote learning of nanotechnology across several disciplines
(Alford et al. 2009; Zheng et al. 2009; Yawson 2010; Mohammad et al. 2012; Murcia
2013; Quirola et al. 2018).
9
8 Ways Out
To address the challenges as opined by Elegbede and Lateef (2019b), concerted
efforts must be made by scholars, institutions, academic societies, funding agencies and governments to advance the studies of nanotechnology in the developing
nations. Specifically, advances in microbial nanobiotechnology would require greater
efforts, knowing fully that sub-field exists at the interface of nanotechnology and
microbiology. Some of the precise ways to address the challenges are hereby
discussed.
8.1 Curriculum Development
To popularize nanotechnology research among learners of microbiology, there is the
need to re-engineer the curriculum at various levels to incorporate topics on materials
science and nanotechnology to expose the learners to nanotechnology and expand
their horizons. At undergraduate level, nanobiotechnology can be infused into relevant courses such as biotechnology or an introductory course on nanobiotechnology
can be created at higher level. At postgraduate level, it would be imperative to have
a course on nanobiotechnology. Among other things, the courses could cover topics
such as:
• Introduction to nanotechnology and historical perspectives.
• Overview of nanomaterials (natural and man-made), types, sources and properties
(physical, chemical and biological).
• Overview of fabrication of nanomaterials by physical, chemical and biological
methods.
• Characterization techniques in nanotechnology.
• Biosynthesis of nanomaterials using plant, animal and microbial resources—
advantages of bio-, green, one-pot, facile and benign synthesis.
• Strategies to produce tuned microbe-mediated nanomaterials: optimization
studies and genetic engineering.
• A survey of applications of nanomaterials in different areas of human endeavours.
• Nanotoxicity and nanotoxicology.
• Fate of nanomaterials in the environment and safety concerns.
• Nanotechnology and sustainable development.
• Practical sessions on green synthesis of nanomaterials and applications.
Suffice to state that curriculum development and curriculum re-engineering
approaches have been deployed to address the gap in the curriculum of science
subjects at secondary school and engineering courses at tertiary institutions in
different countries to promote learning of nanotechnology across several disciplines
(Alford et al. 2009; Zheng et al. 2009; Yawson 2010; Mohammad et al. 2012; Murcia
2013; Quirola et al. 2018).