Microbial production of gold nanoparticles

The development of techniques for the synthesis of nanoparticles of well-defined size, shape and composition is a challenge and an important area of research in nanotechnology. Many microorganisms have the ability to produce inorganic nanostructures and metal nanoparticles with properties similar to chemically-synthesised materials, while exercising control over the size, shape and composition of the particles. This alternative approach to chemical synthesis procedures uses microbial systems for the production of nanosized materials. Intracellular synthesis of gold nanoparticles, as well as extracellular formation of nanoparticles in the presence of fungal cell extract has been successfully demonstrated. The possibility to manipulate the size and shape of gold nanoparticles by altering key growth parameters was investigated and the results have provided some understanding as to which parameters may have an effect on the formation of gold nanoparticles.