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]