Microbial Nanobiotechnology in Nanocatalysis: Degradation …
393
6 Challenges/future Prospects of Microbial-Synthesized
NPs in Environmental Applications
In spite of all the advantages, there are still very limited applications of microbial
nanobiotechnology (Luo et al. 2015). Synthesis of nanomaterials by bacteria can be
either through intracellular or extracellular mechanisms which generally have opposite advantages and disadvantages in terms of purification and dispersity of metal
nanoparticles. In general, nanoparticles produced via extracellular mechanisms are
more polydispersed (with a great variability in size) than nanoparticles produced via
intracellular mechanisms. Yet, less downstream extraction/purification procedures
(e.g., detergent uses and ultrasound treatment) are required in extracellular nanomaterial productions. Therefore, synthesis via extracellular mechanisms, which are
reported for molds and yeast, can significantly simplify the steps of purification.
This is also considered as an advantage for a possible reuse of microorganisms for
further biosynthesis cycles. But, identification and characterization of the enzymes
responsible for nanobiosynthesis in molds are still missing. The photoautotrophic
metabolism of cyanobacteria and microalgae is based on light (as energy source),
carbon dioxide (as carbon source), water, and inorganic nutrients. This condition
lowers the culture media costs, if compared to culture media used for the growth
of bacteria, yeasts, and molds. This may have the potential for future increasing the
scale from the laboratory to the industrial scale, also by the design and the advancement of solar photobioreactors for the reduction and fixation of carbon dioxide in
the atmospheric (Grasso et al. 2020).
7 Conclusion
In the light of recent literature herein reported, microbial nanobiotechnology
holds great potential in nanocatalysis including pollutant degradation and sensing
applications. Pollutants such as industrial dyes, nitrophenol, chlorinated aromatic
compounds, and heavy metals ions could be successfully degraded via nanoparticles produced by different microorganisms. Microbial nanobiotechnology could
be deployed to detect organic compounds, microbial pathogens, and heavy metals
even at very low concentrations. It is a field that could really spur innovation in
nanomanufacturing holding a great potential in different areas.
393
6 Challenges/future Prospects of Microbial-Synthesized
NPs in Environmental Applications
In spite of all the advantages, there are still very limited applications of microbial
nanobiotechnology (Luo et al. 2015). Synthesis of nanomaterials by bacteria can be
either through intracellular or extracellular mechanisms which generally have opposite advantages and disadvantages in terms of purification and dispersity of metal
nanoparticles. In general, nanoparticles produced via extracellular mechanisms are
more polydispersed (with a great variability in size) than nanoparticles produced via
intracellular mechanisms. Yet, less downstream extraction/purification procedures
(e.g., detergent uses and ultrasound treatment) are required in extracellular nanomaterial productions. Therefore, synthesis via extracellular mechanisms, which are
reported for molds and yeast, can significantly simplify the steps of purification.
This is also considered as an advantage for a possible reuse of microorganisms for
further biosynthesis cycles. But, identification and characterization of the enzymes
responsible for nanobiosynthesis in molds are still missing. The photoautotrophic
metabolism of cyanobacteria and microalgae is based on light (as energy source),
carbon dioxide (as carbon source), water, and inorganic nutrients. This condition
lowers the culture media costs, if compared to culture media used for the growth
of bacteria, yeasts, and molds. This may have the potential for future increasing the
scale from the laboratory to the industrial scale, also by the design and the advancement of solar photobioreactors for the reduction and fixation of carbon dioxide in
the atmospheric (Grasso et al. 2020).
7 Conclusion
In the light of recent literature herein reported, microbial nanobiotechnology
holds great potential in nanocatalysis including pollutant degradation and sensing
applications. Pollutants such as industrial dyes, nitrophenol, chlorinated aromatic
compounds, and heavy metals ions could be successfully degraded via nanoparticles produced by different microorganisms. Microbial nanobiotechnology could
be deployed to detect organic compounds, microbial pathogens, and heavy metals
even at very low concentrations. It is a field that could really spur innovation in
nanomanufacturing holding a great potential in different areas.