Materials Science · Materials Chemistry
A systematic review finds that nanoparticles made with plants, bacteria, fungi and algae can remove dyes, heavy metals and other wastewater pollutants through adsorption, chemical transformation and antimicrobial activity. But differences in how they are produced, along with unanswered questions about their environmental fate, could hinder wider adoption.
Sublethal silver nanoparticle exposure changed the balance between Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus in laboratory cultures. The shift depended on an E. coli pathway that released acetate and ammonium, which helped S. aureus survive.
Nickel-doped zinc oxide nanoparticles were made using an extract from Salvia hispanica. In lab tests, they inhibited bacterial biofilms and reduced the activity of several virulence genes, while also triggering apoptosis and cell-cycle arrest in cancer cells. The researchers also report stronger antibacterial effects against Staphylococcus aureus than against normal cells’ growth.
