Biofabrication of nanoparticles using fungi

Abstract

The development of reliable and environment-friendly methods to synthesize nanoparticles is an important requirement of nanotechnology. The use of diverse biological units for the reduction and stabilization of nanoparticles has received extensive scientific attention recently. Among the possible bioresources, bioactive products from fungi are outstanding materials for the synthesis of nanoparticles. Fungi are better biogenic agent for nanoparticle synthesis due to their diversity, very effective secretion of extracellular enzymes, better growth control, and easiness with culturing and maintaining in the laboratory. Fungi can synthesize nanoparticles both intracellularly and extracellularly. The domain of mycosynthesized nanoparticles is somewhat novel and has vast applications in different areas including pathogen detection and control, wound healing, drug delivery, cancer therapy, food preservation, textile fabrics, medical imaging, and many more. In this chapter, we provide a short summary of the current investigations on the utilization of fungi in green nanotechnology, the mechanism of synthesis, and their uses.