Table 2.
Nanomaterials synthesized by yeasts and molds.
| Microorganism | Culture Conditions (Synthesis Time) | Nanomaterial | Characteristics (Average Size, Morphology, etc.) | Biosynthetic Pathway | Application | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saccharomyces cerevisiae | Aerobic two days growth in a modified Czapek’s medium, 5 °C; aliquot of cell suspension (OD600 = 0.6) + 3 mM CdCl2 + 0.8 mM Na2TeO3 + 1.5 mM CH3SO3H + 2.6 mM NaBH4, stirred at 500 rpm (N/A) | CdTe QDs | 2.0–3.6 nm; cubic zinc blende crystals | Extracellular synthesis not described | Good candidate for bio-imaging and bio-labelling applications | [50] |
|
Aspergillus welwitschiae KY766958 |
Growth in Czapek’s medium; pH 7.3 ± 0.2, 30 °C for 7 days shaken at 150 rpm + 2 mmol K2TeO3 (48 h) | Te NPs | 60.80 nm; oval to spherical shape | Mechanism not described | Antibacterial activity against E. coli and methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) | [59] |
| Commercially available instant dry yeast (Angel Yeast Co.—Yichang, China) | Sucrose solution (5 g/L) + instant dry yeast (600 mg), 30 °C for 24 h; cells pellet in sterile water (106 cells/mL) + AgNO3 solution + HAuCl4 solution (final concentrations N/A), 30 °C. (24 h) | Au–Ag alloy NPs | Reduced metallic form (XPS analysis); large superficial area and desirable conductivity (electrochemical impedance spectroscopy) |
Extracellular synthesis not described | Electrochemical sensor for paracetamol | [51] |
| Au–Ag alloy NPs | 9–25 nm | Extracellular synthesis not described | Electrochemical sensor for vanillin | [52] | ||
| Humicola sp. | MGYP medium, pH 9, shaken at 200 rpm, 50 °C; harvested mycelial mass + 1 mM AgNO3, shaken at 200 rpm, 50 °C (96 h) | Ag NPs | 5–25 nm; spherical shape; face centered cubic crystals | Extracellular synthesis through a possible involvement of biomolecules secreted by the fungus | In vitro cytotoxicity against NIH3T3 mouse embryonic fibroblast cell line and MDA-MB-231 human breast carcinoma cell line | [55] |
| Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici | 5 days growth, potato dextrose broth, 28 °C; filtered biomass + 1 mM AgNO3, 28 °C, dark condition (120 h) | Ag NPs | 5 to 13 nm; spherical shape; face centered cubic crystals | Extracellular synthesis, possible involvement of a secreted reductase | Antibacterial activity against pathogenic bacteria Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus; antitumoral activity against human breast carcinoma cell line MCF-7 | [56] |
| Penicillium brevicompactum KCCM 60390 | 72 h growth, potato dextrose broth, 30 °C, shaken at 200 rpm; filtered biomass (5 g) in Milli-Q sterile deionized water and agitated, 72 h at 200 rpm, 30 °C; supernatant from filtered biomass + 1 mM HAuCl4, shaken at 200 rpm, dark condition 30 °C (N/A) | Au NPs | (live cell filtrate) 25–60 nm; spherical shape; 20–80 nm (potato dextrose broth), spherical and triangular and hexagonal shape (culture supernatant broth) 20 to 50 nm; well dispersed and uniform in shape and size; good stability against aggregation after 3 months |
Extracellular synthesis; possible ion trapping on the fungal cells surface via electrostatic interaction; possible involvement of organic reagents used for the microbial cultivations as potential reducing agents | Inhibitory effect and cytotoxicity against mouse cancer C2C12 cell lines | [58] |
| Trichoderma harzianum (SKCGW008) | 72 h cultured spores in wheat bran broth media, 28 °C shaken at 180 rpm; supernatant + 0.5% (w/v) of low molecular weight chitosan in agitation (30 min) | Chitosan NPs | 90.8 nm; spherical shape; amorphous structure | Extracellular synthesis via enzyme secreted (not identified) | Antioxidant activity; bactericidal activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Salmonella enterica; biocompatibility (no cytotoxic effect on murine fibroblast NIH-3T3 cells) | [57] |
| Aspergillus flavus | Growth in potato dextrose broth, 28 °C, 115 rpm; harvested fungal biomass + 3 mM ZnSO4, 27 °C, 200 rpm; for ZnS:Gd nanoparticle 0.3 M Gd(NO3)3 (96 h) | ZnS and ZnS: Gd NPs | Nanocrystalline and a narrow size distribution: 12–24 nm spherical (ZnS): for and 10–18 nm (ZnS:Gd) | Extracellular synthesis not described | Optical detection of Pb (II), Cd (II), Hg (II), Cu (II), and Ni (II) in water | [60] |
| Aspergillus flavus | Growth in potato dextrose broth + 0.5 mM Pb(CH3COO)2 + 6.4 mM Na2S, 30 °C, 115 rpm (120 h) | PbS NPs | 35–100 nm; cubic crystal | Extracellular synthesis not described | Optical detection of As (III) in water | [61] |