Bio-nanosensors: Synthesis and Their
Substantial Role in Agriculture
Shailja Dhiman, Swati Gaba, Ajit Varma, and Arti Goel
Abstract
Nanotechnology is a recent emerging area having vast
potential in almost every field of science due to their
small size and larger surface area as compared to bulk
phase materials. Synthesis of nanoparticles can be done
from physical and chemical methods, but these days,
bio-nanotechnology is in demand that associate principles
of biology with physical and chemical methods to
synthesize nanomaterials having precise functions. In
bio-nanotechnology, the nanoparticles are synthesized
from biological means such as plants or microbes also
called as plant-microbe-engineered nanoparticles
(PM-ENPs). PM-ENPs are more efficient, less toxic and
cost effective as compared to physical and chemically
synthesized nanoparticles. Plant-microbe-engineered
nanoparticles have good anti-microbial activity because
of electrostatic interaction with cell membrane of
microorganisms and electrostatic interaction build-up
inside the cell cytoplasm. The PM-ENPs such as zinc
oxide (ZnO) and sliver (Ag) are helpful in increasing the
growth of plant by guaranteeing that the nutrients are used
in
controlled
manners
by
the
plants.
Plant-microbe-engineered
nanoparticles
as
bio-nanosensors have confirmed their possibility of
success in agriculture. Bio-nanosensors can be used for
monitoring of crop health, pests attack, environmental
stressors and plant diseases. The bio-nanosensors can be
used in pathogen detection, sensing food eminence,
adulterants, dye, vitamins, fertilizers, taste, smell and
pesticides. Therefore, plant-microbe-engineered nanoparticles have significant role in advancement of agriculture.
This chapter will pave the path for the possibility of
synthesis of nanomaterials by biological means such as by
different plant parts and microbes. Also, the role of
different metal nanoparticles in making of different types
of bio-nanosensors and their substantial role in agriculture
advancement have also been emphasized.
Keywords
Agriculture Á Bio-nanosensors Á Nanofertilizers Á
Plant-microbe-engineered nanoparticles
1 Introduction
Nanotechnology is coming into various fields such as
biotechnology, engineering, food technology, agriculture
and medical sciences and brought extensive research. It has
an impact on all the forms of life because of its enormous
use in automobiles, bio-medical sensors, catalyst, electronics, nano-fabrics, packaging, agriculture, bio-engineering,
medicines, drug delivery, etc. (Shankar et al. 2004; Song and
Kim 2009; Iravani et al. 2011). Nanotechnology is a novel
discovery in the field of nanotechnology and changing too
fast to cover thoroughly. Richard Feynman an American
physicist in 1959 brought the concept of nanotechnology in
a conference of the American Physical Society, where he
gave the idea of the very vast potential of nanomaterials
(Feynman 1960). When bulk materials are engineered into
one or two dimensions in nano-range or smaller particles
have properties which vary from those of the bulk phase
material. Such engineered particles show totally different
characteristics from bulk phase materials. The fact on which
nanotechnology lies depicts that the reduction of size of the
substances in nanometre range changes the properties of
substances dramatically (Chattopadhyay and Patel 2016; Ail
et al. 2017).
Bulk phase material is reduced to small size nanoparticles
through different approaches such as top to bottom and bottom to up (Fig. 1). In top-to-bottom approach, nanoparticles
are synthesized by physical and chemical methods which
S. Dhiman Á S. Gaba Á A. Varma Á A. Goel (&)
Amity Institute of Microbial Technology, Amity University
Noida, Noida, U.P., India
e-mail: agoel2@amity.edu
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
P. Singh et al. (eds.), Plant-Microbes-Engineered Nano-particles (PM-ENPs) Nexus in Agro-Ecosystems,
Advances in Science, Technology & Innovation,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-66956-0_11
165
Substantial Role in Agriculture
Shailja Dhiman, Swati Gaba, Ajit Varma, and Arti Goel
Abstract
Nanotechnology is a recent emerging area having vast
potential in almost every field of science due to their
small size and larger surface area as compared to bulk
phase materials. Synthesis of nanoparticles can be done
from physical and chemical methods, but these days,
bio-nanotechnology is in demand that associate principles
of biology with physical and chemical methods to
synthesize nanomaterials having precise functions. In
bio-nanotechnology, the nanoparticles are synthesized
from biological means such as plants or microbes also
called as plant-microbe-engineered nanoparticles
(PM-ENPs). PM-ENPs are more efficient, less toxic and
cost effective as compared to physical and chemically
synthesized nanoparticles. Plant-microbe-engineered
nanoparticles have good anti-microbial activity because
of electrostatic interaction with cell membrane of
microorganisms and electrostatic interaction build-up
inside the cell cytoplasm. The PM-ENPs such as zinc
oxide (ZnO) and sliver (Ag) are helpful in increasing the
growth of plant by guaranteeing that the nutrients are used
in
controlled
manners
by
the
plants.
Plant-microbe-engineered
nanoparticles
as
bio-nanosensors have confirmed their possibility of
success in agriculture. Bio-nanosensors can be used for
monitoring of crop health, pests attack, environmental
stressors and plant diseases. The bio-nanosensors can be
used in pathogen detection, sensing food eminence,
adulterants, dye, vitamins, fertilizers, taste, smell and
pesticides. Therefore, plant-microbe-engineered nanoparticles have significant role in advancement of agriculture.
This chapter will pave the path for the possibility of
synthesis of nanomaterials by biological means such as by
different plant parts and microbes. Also, the role of
different metal nanoparticles in making of different types
of bio-nanosensors and their substantial role in agriculture
advancement have also been emphasized.
Keywords
Agriculture Á Bio-nanosensors Á Nanofertilizers Á
Plant-microbe-engineered nanoparticles
1 Introduction
Nanotechnology is coming into various fields such as
biotechnology, engineering, food technology, agriculture
and medical sciences and brought extensive research. It has
an impact on all the forms of life because of its enormous
use in automobiles, bio-medical sensors, catalyst, electronics, nano-fabrics, packaging, agriculture, bio-engineering,
medicines, drug delivery, etc. (Shankar et al. 2004; Song and
Kim 2009; Iravani et al. 2011). Nanotechnology is a novel
discovery in the field of nanotechnology and changing too
fast to cover thoroughly. Richard Feynman an American
physicist in 1959 brought the concept of nanotechnology in
a conference of the American Physical Society, where he
gave the idea of the very vast potential of nanomaterials
(Feynman 1960). When bulk materials are engineered into
one or two dimensions in nano-range or smaller particles
have properties which vary from those of the bulk phase
material. Such engineered particles show totally different
characteristics from bulk phase materials. The fact on which
nanotechnology lies depicts that the reduction of size of the
substances in nanometre range changes the properties of
substances dramatically (Chattopadhyay and Patel 2016; Ail
et al. 2017).
Bulk phase material is reduced to small size nanoparticles
through different approaches such as top to bottom and bottom to up (Fig. 1). In top-to-bottom approach, nanoparticles
are synthesized by physical and chemical methods which
S. Dhiman Á S. Gaba Á A. Varma Á A. Goel (&)
Amity Institute of Microbial Technology, Amity University
Noida, Noida, U.P., India
e-mail: agoel2@amity.edu
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
P. Singh et al. (eds.), Plant-Microbes-Engineered Nano-particles (PM-ENPs) Nexus in Agro-Ecosystems,
Advances in Science, Technology & Innovation,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-66956-0_11
165