Advances in Microbial Synthesis of Metal Nanoparticles and Their Environmental Applications
TOTAL VIEWS: 332
Abstract
Metal nanoparticles have been used in a wide range of applications in areas such as chemical engineering, medicine, and environmental protection for their unique physicochemical properties. Compared with traditional physical and chemical synthesis methods, which are characterized by high energy consumption, environmental degradation, and high costs, biosynthesis methods have gradually become a research highlight because of their lower energy consumption, environmental friendliness, and good biocompatibility. The microbial synthesis of metal nanoparticles offers significant advantages since its biological reduction process converts metal ions into metal nanoparticles. Characteristics of this process vary among different microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi, yeasts, actinomycetes, microalgae, and viruses, as the microbial synthesis process is influenced by various factors including temperature, pH, metal ion concentration, and microbial biomass. Therefore, the morphology, size, and dispersion of the nanoparticles could be regulated given the above condition being optimized. Moreover, the combination of genetic engineering provides new directions for the controlled synthesis of nanoparticles, plays a crucial role in diversifying biologically synthesized nanoparticles, as well as speeding up synthesis rates and increasing production yields. Metal nanoparticles synthesized by microorganisms present excellent stability and biocompatibility, which will present us a wider application foreground in environmental improvement and drug delivery. This review summarizes the research advances in the microbial synthesis of metal nanoparticles, providing a comprehensive analysis of the advantages and limitations of different microorganisms in nanoparticle synthesis, researching the factors that affects its process and corresponding mechanisms, and proposing possible strategies for controlling nanoparticle shape, size, uniformity, dispersion, and improving synthesis rates.
References
[1] Kimber RL, Lewis EA, Parmeggiani F, Smith K, Bagshaw H, Starborg T, et al. Biosynthesis and Characterization of Copper Nanoparticles Using Shewanella oneidensis: Application for Click Chemistry. Small. 2018;14(10):1703145.
[2] Navalón S, García H. Nanoparticles for Catalysis. Nanomaterials. 2016;6(7):123.
[3] Sportelli MC, Izzi M, Volpe A, Clemente M, Picca RA, Ancona A, et al. The Pros and Cons of the Use of Laser Ablation Synthesis for the Production of Silver Nano-Antimicrobials. Antibiotics. 2018;7(3):67.
[4] Chen G, Chen Y, Cui Y, Chen Q, Chen T, Yang Y. Morphology-controlled fabrication of nano Ag/poly (vinyl pyrrolidone) composites and their effect on electric conductive properties of UV ink. Mater Technol. 2016;31(sup1):17-22.
[5] Jeevanandam J, Kiew S, Ansah S, Sie Yon JL, Barhoum A, Danquah M, et al. Green approaches for the synthesis of metal and metal oxide nanoparticles using microbial and plant extracts. Nanoscale. 2022;14.
[6] Alavi M. Bacteria and fungi as major bio-sources to fabricate silver nanoparticles with antibacterial activities. Expert Rev Anti Infect Ther. 2022;20(6):897-906.
[7] Annamalai J, Ummalyma SB, Pandey A, Bhaskar T. Recent trends in microbial nanoparticle synthesis and potential application in environmental technology: a comprehensive review. Environ Sci Pollut Res. 2021;28(36):49362-82.
[8] Iravani S, Varma RS. Bacteria in Heavy Metal Remediation and Nanoparticle Biosynthesis. ACS Sustain Chem Eng. 2020;8(14):5395-409.
[9] Rai M, Bonde S, Golinska P, Trzcińska-Wencel J, Gade A, Abd-Elsalam KA, et al. Fusarium as a Novel Fungus for the Synthesis of Nanoparticles: Mechanism and Applications. J Fungi. 2021;7(2):139.
[10] Weng Y, Li J, Ding X, Wang B, Dai S, Zhou Y, et al. Functionalized Gold and Silver Bimetallic Nanoparticles Using Deinococcus radiodurans Protein Extract Mediate Degradation of Toxic Dye Malachite Green. Int J Nanomedicine. 2020;15:1823-35.
[11] Yang J, Ju P, Dong X, Duan J, Xiao H, Tang X, et al. Green synthesis of functional metallic nanoparticles by dissimilatory metal-reducing bacteria “Shewanella”: A comprehensive review. J Mater Sci Technol. 2023;158:63-76.
[12] Chauhan A, Anand J, Parkash V, Rai N. Biogenic synthesis: a sustainable approach for nanoparticles synthesis mediated by fungi. Inorg Nano-Metal Chem. 2023;53(5):460-73.
[13] Mistry H, Thakor R, Patil C, Trivedi J, Bariya H. Biogenically proficient synthesis and characterization of silver nanoparticles employing marine procured fungi Aspergillus brunneoviolaceus along with their antibacterial and antioxidative potency. Biotechnol Lett. 2021;43(1):307-16.
[14] Mukherjee P, Ahmad A, Mandal D, Senapati S, Sainkar SR, Khan MI, et al. Fungus-Mediated Synthesis of Silver Nanoparticles and Their Immobilization in the Mycelial Matrix: A Novel Biological Approach to Nanoparticle Synthesis. Nano Lett. 2001;1(10):515-9.
[15] Basavaraja S, Balaji SD, Lagashetty A, Rajasab AH, Venkataraman A. Extracellular biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles using the fungus Fusarium semitectum. Mater Res Bull. 2008;43(5):1164-70.
[16] Zhang X, Qu Y, Shen W, Wang J, Li H, Zhang Z, et al. Biogenic synthesis of gold nanoparticles by yeast Magnusiomyces ingens LH-F1 for catalytic reduction of nitrophenols. Colloids Surf A Physicochem Eng Asp. 2016;497:280-5.
[17] Asghari-Paskiabi F, Imani M, Eybpoosh S, Rafii-Tabar H, Razzaghi-Abyaneh M. Population Kinetics and Mechanistic Aspects of Saccharomyces cerevisiae Growth in Relation to Selenium Sulfide Nanoparticle Synthesis. Front Microbiol. 2020;11:1-11.
[18] Cheng Z, Tang S, Feng J, Wu Y. Biosynthesis and antibacterial activity of silver nanoparticles using Flos Sophorae Immaturus extract. Heliyon. 2022;8(8):e10010.
[19] Kim D-Y, Kim M, Sung J-S, Koduru JR, Nile SH, Syed A, et al. Extracellular synthesis of silver nanoparticle using yeast extracts: anti-bacterial and seed priming applications. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol. 2024;108(1):150.
[20] Roychoudhury A, editor. Yeast-mediated Green Synthesis of Nanoparticles for Biological Applications. 2020.
[21] Salem SS, EL-Belely EF, Niedbała G, Alnoman MM, Hassan SE-D, Eid AM, et al. Bactericidal and In-Vitro Cytotoxic Efficacy of Silver Nanoparticles (Ag-NPs) Fabricated by Endophytic Actinomycetes and Their Use as Coating for the Textile Fabrics. Nanomaterials. 2020;10(10):2082.
[22] Bizuye A, Gedamu L, Bii C, Gatebe E, Maina N. Molecular-Based Identification of Actinomycetes Species That Synthesize Antibacterial Silver Nanoparticles. Int J Microbiol. 2020;2020:8816111.
[23] Otari S, Patil RM, Ghosh SJ, Thorat ND, Pawar SH. Intracellular synthesis of silver nanoparticle by actinobacteria and its antimicrobial activity. Spectrochim Acta A Mol Biomol Spectrosc. 2015;136 Pt B:1175-80.
[24] Hamed AA, Kabary H, Khedr M, Emam AN. Antibiofilm, antimicrobial and cytotoxic activity of extracellular green-synthesized silver nanoparticles by two marine-derived actinomycete. RSC Adv. 2020;10(17):10361-7.
[25] Bennur T, Khan ZN, Kshirsagar R, Javdekar V, Zinjarde S. Biogenic gold nanoparticles from the Actinomycete Gordonia amarae: Application in rapid sensing of copper ions. Sens Actuators B Chem. 2016;233:684-90.
[26] Annamalai J, Nallamuthu T. Characterization of biosynthesized gold nanoparticles from aqueous extract of Chlorella vulgaris and their anti-pathogenic properties. Appl Nanosci. 2015;5(5):603-7.
[27] Khanna P, Kaur A, Goyal D. Algae-based metallic nanoparticles: Synthesis, characterization and applications. J Microbiol Methods. 2019;163:105656.
[28] Choudhary S, Sangela V, Saxena P, Saharan V, Pugazhendhi A, Harish. Recent progress in algae-mediated silver nanoparticle synthesis. Int Nano Lett. 2023;13(3):193-207.
[29] Hernandez-Garcia A, Kraft DJ, Janssen AFJ, Bomans PHH, Sommerdijk NAJM, Thies-Weesie DME, et al. Design and self-assembly of simple coat proteins for artificial viruses. Nat Nanotechnol. 2014;9(9):698-702.
[30] Keum J-W, Hathorne AP, Bermudez H. Controlling forces and pathways in self-assembly using viruses and DNA. Wiley Interdiscip Rev Nanomed Nanobiotechnol. 2011;3(3):282-97.
[31] Hamouda RA, Hussein MH, Abo-elmagd RA, Bawazir SS. Synthesis and biological characterization of silver nanoparticles derived from the cyanobacterium Oscillatoria limnetica. Sci Rep. 2019;9(1):13071.
[32] Zahr OK, Blum AS. Solution Phase Gold Nanorings on a Viral Protein Template. Nano Lett. 2012;12(2):629-33.
[33] Wu Y, Yang H, Shin H-J. Viruses as self-assembled nanocontainers for encapsulation of functional cargoes. Korean J Chem Eng. 2013;30(7):1359-67.
[34] Ahiwale SS, Bankar AV, Tagunde S, Kapadnis BP. A Bacteriophage Mediated Gold Nanoparticles Synthesis and Their Anti-biofilm Activity. Indian J Microbiol. 2017;57(2):188-94.
[35] Tauseef A, Hisam F, Hussain T, Caruso A, Hussain K, Châtel A, et al. Nanomicrobiology: Emerging Trends in Microbial Synthesis of Nanomaterials and Their Applications. J Cluster Sci. 2023;34(2):639-64.
[36] Bai R, Tian XC, Wang SH, et al. Noble Metal Nanoparticles Produced by Microorganism. Prog Chem. 2019;31(6):872-881.
[37] Balakumaran MD, Ramachandran R, Kalaichelvan PT. Exploitation of endophytic fungus, Guignardia mangiferae for extracellular synthesis of silver nanoparticles and their in vitro biological activities. Microbiol Res. 2015;178:9-17.
[38] Khan MR, Urmi MA, Kamaraj C, Malafaia G, Ragavendran C, Rahman MM. Green synthesis of silver nanoparticles with its bioactivity, toxicity and environmental applications: A comprehensive literature review. Environ Nanotechnol Monit Manag. 2023;20:100872.
[39] Zhao J, Li F, Cao Y, Zhang X, Chen T, Song H, et al. Microbial extracellular electron transfer and strategies for engineering electroactive microorganisms. Biotechnol Adv. 2021;53:107682.
[40] Yumei L, Yamei L, Qiang L, Jie B. Rapid Biosynthesis of Silver Nanoparticles Based on Flocculation and Reduction of an Exopolysaccharide from Arthrobacter sp. B4: Its Antimicrobial Activity and Phytotoxicity. J Nanomater. 2017;2017:1-8.
[41] Gurunathan S, Kalishwaralal K, Vaidyanathan R, Venkataraman D, Pandian SRK, Muniyandi J, et al. Biosynthesis, purification and characterization of silver nanoparticles using Escherichia coli. Colloids Surf B Biointerfaces. 2009;74(1):328-35.
[42] Abdelrahim K, Mahmoud SY, Ali AM, Almaary KS, Mustafa AE-ZMA, Husseiny SM. Extracellular biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles using Rhizopus stolonifer. Saudi J Biol Sci. 2016;24:208-16.
[43] Han R, Song X, Wang Q, Qi Y, Deng G, Zhang A, et al. Microbial synthesis of graphene‐supported highly‐dispersed Pd‐Ag bimetallic nanoparticles and its catalytic activity. J Chem Technol Biotechnol. 2019.
[44] Singh PK, Kundu S. Biosynthesis of Gold Nanoparticles Using Bacteria. Proc Natl Acad Sci India Sect B Biol Sci. 2014;84(2):331-6.
[45] Sanghi R, Verma P. Biomimetic synthesis and characterisation of protein capped silver nanoparticles. Bioresour Technol. 2009;100(1):501-4.
[46] Konishi Y, Tsukiyama T, Tachimi T, Saitoh N, Nomura T, Nagamine S. Microbial deposition of gold nanoparticles by the metal-reducing bacterium Shewanella algae. Electrochim Acta. 2007;53:186-92.
[47] Saxena J, Sharma PK, Sharma MM, Singh A. Process optimization for green synthesis of silver nanoparticles by Sclerotinia sclerotiorum MTCC 8785 and evaluation of its antibacterial properties. SpringerPlus. 2016;5(1):861.
[48] Rajput S, Werezuk R, Lange RM, McDermott MT. Fungal Isolate Optimized for Biogenesis of Silver Nanoparticles with Enhanced Colloidal Stability. Langmuir. 2016;32(34):8688-97.
[49] Wadhwani SA, Gorain M, Banerjee P, Shedbalkar UU, Singh R, Kundu GC, et al. Green synthesis of selenium nanoparticles using Acinetobacter sp. SW30: optimization, characterization and its anticancer activity in breast cancer cells. Int J Nanomedicine. 2017;12:6841-55.
[50] Zhou J, Shi C, Zhu N. The possibility and influence factors of biosynthesis gold nanoparticles in Trichoderma viride. Microbiology. 2018;45(11):2387-2398.
[51] Phanjom P, Ahmed G. Effect of different physicochemical conditions on the synthesis of silver nanoparticles using fungal cell filtrate of Aspergillus oryzae (MTCC No. 1846) and their antibacterial effect. Adv Nat Sci Nanosci Nanotechnol. 2017;8(4):045016.
[52] Xia Z, Cheng Y, Kong W, Shi X, Yang T, Wang M, et al. Electron shuttles alter selenite reduction pathway and redistribute formed Se(0) nanoparticles. Process Biochem. 2016;51:408-13.
[53] Zhang Y, Zahir, Amrhein C, Chang A, Frankenberger WT. Application of Redox Mediator To Accelerate Selenate Reduction to Elemental Selenium by Enterobacter taylorae. J Agric Food Chem. 2007;55(14):5714-7.
[54] Zhang D, Nie Z, Liu L, et al. Mechanisms of microbial extracellular electron transfer and its application. Chin Bull Life Sci. 2018;30(6):6.
[55] Lin IW-S, Lok C-N, Che C-M. Biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles from silver(i) reduction by the periplasmic nitrate reductase c-type cytochrome subunit NapC in a silver-resistant E. coli. Chem Sci. 2014;5(8):3144-50.
[56] Jung JH, Lee SY, Seo TS. In Vivo Synthesis of Nanocomposites Using the Recombinant Escherichia coli. Small. 2018;14(42):e1803133.
[57] Choi Y, Park TJ, Lee DC, Lee SY. Recombinant Escherichia coli as a biofactory for various single- and multi-element nanomaterials. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2018;115(23):5944-9.
[58] Yuan Q, Bomma M, Xiao Z. Enhanced Silver Nanoparticle Synthesis by Escherichia Coli Transformed with Candida Albicans Metal-lothionein Gene. Materials. 2019;12(24):4180.
[59] Chen Y-L, Tuan HY, Tien C-W, Lo W-H, Liang H-C, Hu Y-C. Augmented biosynthesis of cadmium sulfide nanoparticles by genetically engineered Escherichia coli. Biotechnol Prog. 2009;25.
[60] Soto ER, Ostroff GR. Characterization of Multilayered Nanoparticles Encapsulated in Yeast Cell Wall Particles for DNA Delivery. Bioconjug Chem. 2008;19(4):840-8.
[61] Li XZ, Nikaido H, Williams KE. Silver-resistant mutants of Escherichia coli display active efflux of Ag+ and are deficient in porins. J Bacteriol. 1997;179(19):6127-32.
[62] Lemire JA, Harrison JJ, Turner RJ. Antimicrobial activity of metals: mechanisms, molecular targets and applications. Nat Rev Microbiol. 2013;11(6):371-84.
[63] Yilmazztürk B. Intracellular and extracellular green synthesis of silver nanoparticles using Desmodesmus sp.: their Antibacterial and anti-fungal effects. Caryologia. 2019;72(1).
[64] Mishra A, Sardar M. Cellulase assisted synthesis of nano-silver and gold: Application as immobilization matrix for biocatalysis. Int J Biol Macromol. 2015;77:105-13.
[65] Karthik L, Kumar G, Kirthi AV, Rahuman AA, Bhaskara Rao KV. Streptomyces sp. LK3 mediated synthesis of silver nanoparticles and its biomedical application. Bioprocess Biosyst Eng. 2014;37(2):261-7.
[66] Nangia Y, Wangoo N, Goyal N, Shekhawat G, Suri CR. A novel bacterial isolate Stenotrophomonas maltophilia as living factory for synthesis of gold nanoparticles. Microb Cell Fact. 2009;8(1):39.
[67] Riddin T, Gericke M, Whiteley CG. Biological synthesis of platinum nanoparticles: Effect of initial metal concentration. Enzyme Microb Technol. 2010;46(6):501-5.
[68] Cao B, Ahmed B, Kennedy DW, Wang Z, Shi L, Marshall MJ, et al. Contribution of Extracellular Polymeric Substances from Shewanella sp. HRCR-1 Biofilms to U(VI) Immobilization. Environ Sci Technol. 2011;45(13):5483-90.
[69] Cobbett CS. Phytochelatin biosynthesis and function in heavy-metal detoxification. Curr Opin Plant Biol. 2000;3(3):211-6.
[70] Aziz N, Faraz M, Pandey R, Shakir M, Fatma T, Varma A, et al. Facile Algae-Derived Route to Biogenic Silver Nanoparticles: Synthesis, Antibacterial, and Photocatalytic Properties. Langmuir. 2015;31(42):11605-12.
[71] Annamalai J, Vasudevan N. Enhanced biodegradation of an endocrine disrupting micro-pollutant: Di (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate using biogenic self-assembled monolayer of silver nanoparticles. Sci Total Environ. 2020;719:137115.
[72] Nazari N, Kashi FJ. A novel microbial synthesis of silver nanoparticles: Its bioactivity, Ag/Ca-Alg beads as an effective catalyst for decolorization Disperse Blue 183 from textile industry effluent. Sep Purif Technol. 2020:118117.
[73] Ma X. Microbial Synthesis of Sulfide Semiconductor Nanomaterials and Their Applications in the Environment [PhD Thesis]. Zhenjiang: Jiangsu University; 2014.
[74] Mabbett AN, Yong P, Farr JP, Macaskie LE. Reduction of Cr(VI) by "palladized" biomass of Desulfovibrio desulfuricans ATCC 29577. Biotechnol Bioeng. 2004;87(1):104-9.
[75] Zhu H, Jia S, Wan T, Jia Y, Yang H, Li J, et al. Biosynthesis of spherical Fe3O4/bacterial cellulose nanocomposites as adsorbents for heavy metal ions. Carbohydr Polym. 2011;86(4):1558-64.
[76] Maghimaa M, Alharbi SA. Green synthesis of silver nanoparticles from Curcuma longa L. and coating on the cotton fabrics for antimi-crobial applications and wound healing activity. J Photochem Photobiol B. 2020;204:111806.
[77] Mohamed AA, Fouda A, Abdel-Rahman MA, Hassan SE-D, El-Gamal MS, Salem SS, et al. Fungal strain impacts the shape, bioactivity and multifunctional properties of green synthesized zinc oxide nanoparticles. Biocatal Agric Biotechnol. 2019.
[78] Li G, Sun K, Li D, Lv P, Wang Q, Huang F, et al. Biosensor based on bacterial cellulose-Au nanoparticles electrode modified with laccase for hydroquinone detection. Colloids Surf A Physicochem Eng Asp. 2016;509:408-14.
[79] Liu Z, Zhou H, Shen E, et al. Recent advances in microbes-mediated biosynthesis of gold nanoparticles. Microbiology. 2015;42(8):9.
[80] Varshney M, Li Y. Interdigitated array microelectrode based impedance biosensor coupled with magnetic nanoparticle–antibody conjugates for detection of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in food samples. Biosens Bioelectron. 2007;22(11):2408-14.
How to cite this paper
Advances in Microbial Synthesis of Metal Nanoparticles and Their Environmental Applications
How to cite this paper: Qiaoqing Xie. (2025) Advances in Microbial Synthesis of Metal Nanoparticles and Their Environmental Applications. OAJRC Environmental Science, 6(1), 1-13.
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.26855/oajrces.2025.06.001