Microbial Nanobiotechnology: The Melting Pot …
13
9 Future Trends
Though a good number of studies in nanotechnology in relation to microbiology have
largely focussed on the use of nanomaterials to control microbial growth, newer areas
of investigations have emerged. These include microbial synthesis of nanoparticles
and the exploitation of microbe-mediated nanoparticles for myriad of applications,
immobilization of microbial enzymes using nanoparticles for improved biocatalysis
and utilization of nanoparticles for bioprocess development to improve the yields
of microbial metabolites and products such as the generation of biofuels (Sanusi
et al. 2020). It is envisaged that nanotechnology would play more prominent roles in
future in enhancing the capabilities of microbes in several bioprocesses and transformation that would include but not limited to microbial remediation, biodegradation,
biofuel generation, biocatalysis, microbial enhanced oil recovery and plant growth
promotion with positive impacts on microbial technology and processes derived
therefrom. Biosynthesis of nanomaterials by microbes would be impacted by genetic
engineering to elucidate the mechanisms involved in their synthesis, to manufacture
tuned nanomaterials of specific attributes and functionality and to position microbes
as efficient nanofactories to produce nanomaterials at industrial scale. These areas of
investigations can become the hotbed of research activities in the nearest future with
lots of potentials to create new sub-specialties and widen the scope of applications
of microbes through the production of microbe-inspired nano-based products and
processes.
In the continued efforts to defeat microbial pathogens of man, animals and plants,
nanomaterials have emerged as bug killers with profound effects due to the multifaceted assaults on pathogens which have proven to be more advantageous to the
narrow range of activities exhibited by antimicrobial drugs. Thus, either by acting
singly or in synergistic activities with established drugs, nanomaterials can be efficiently deployed to fight the scourge of drug resistance among microbes and even in
cancer cells. Investigations in this area shall promote the development of nano-based
antimicrobial agents for applications in health care, pharmaceuticals, environment,
agriculture and food processing. Another budding area of development is in the
applications of nanomaterials for the sensing of chemicals with particular relevance
in the detection of microbial cells and toxins through nano-sensors. The emergence
of these smart systems would enhance the development of novel packaging materials and promote real-time detection of microbes and their metabolites with varying
degrees of applications in food industries, pharmaceuticals, clinical practice and
environment.
In basic microbiology, the incorporation of nutrients in culture media in nanoformulated forms would spur new investigations in microbial physiology, proteomics,
gene expression and metabolomics to fully understand the impacts of nanomaterials
on metabolic fluxes of microbial cells and their activities. On this basis, microbes
can be utilized in the evaluation of toxicity of nanomaterials and their environmental
impacts. In addition, the influences of nanomaterials on the performances of varying
13
9 Future Trends
Though a good number of studies in nanotechnology in relation to microbiology have
largely focussed on the use of nanomaterials to control microbial growth, newer areas
of investigations have emerged. These include microbial synthesis of nanoparticles
and the exploitation of microbe-mediated nanoparticles for myriad of applications,
immobilization of microbial enzymes using nanoparticles for improved biocatalysis
and utilization of nanoparticles for bioprocess development to improve the yields
of microbial metabolites and products such as the generation of biofuels (Sanusi
et al. 2020). It is envisaged that nanotechnology would play more prominent roles in
future in enhancing the capabilities of microbes in several bioprocesses and transformation that would include but not limited to microbial remediation, biodegradation,
biofuel generation, biocatalysis, microbial enhanced oil recovery and plant growth
promotion with positive impacts on microbial technology and processes derived
therefrom. Biosynthesis of nanomaterials by microbes would be impacted by genetic
engineering to elucidate the mechanisms involved in their synthesis, to manufacture
tuned nanomaterials of specific attributes and functionality and to position microbes
as efficient nanofactories to produce nanomaterials at industrial scale. These areas of
investigations can become the hotbed of research activities in the nearest future with
lots of potentials to create new sub-specialties and widen the scope of applications
of microbes through the production of microbe-inspired nano-based products and
processes.
In the continued efforts to defeat microbial pathogens of man, animals and plants,
nanomaterials have emerged as bug killers with profound effects due to the multifaceted assaults on pathogens which have proven to be more advantageous to the
narrow range of activities exhibited by antimicrobial drugs. Thus, either by acting
singly or in synergistic activities with established drugs, nanomaterials can be efficiently deployed to fight the scourge of drug resistance among microbes and even in
cancer cells. Investigations in this area shall promote the development of nano-based
antimicrobial agents for applications in health care, pharmaceuticals, environment,
agriculture and food processing. Another budding area of development is in the
applications of nanomaterials for the sensing of chemicals with particular relevance
in the detection of microbial cells and toxins through nano-sensors. The emergence
of these smart systems would enhance the development of novel packaging materials and promote real-time detection of microbes and their metabolites with varying
degrees of applications in food industries, pharmaceuticals, clinical practice and
environment.
In basic microbiology, the incorporation of nutrients in culture media in nanoformulated forms would spur new investigations in microbial physiology, proteomics,
gene expression and metabolomics to fully understand the impacts of nanomaterials
on metabolic fluxes of microbial cells and their activities. On this basis, microbes
can be utilized in the evaluation of toxicity of nanomaterials and their environmental
impacts. In addition, the influences of nanomaterials on the performances of varying