Researchers in India have developed an eco-friendly method for synthesizing silver nanoparticles using fungus. The article says that microorganisms that are exposed to pollutants such as metal ions in the environment exhibit metal-microbe interactions that make them attractive as biofactories for synthesis of metallic nanoparticles. The article sys that current methods of synthesizing silver nanoparticles involve the use of organic solvents and radiation chemical reactions that are potentially dangerous. The article says that the growing number of applications for silver nanoparticles is necessitating a simple and environmentally-friendly synthesis method. Dr. D’Souza, head of the Nuclear Agriculture and Biotechnology Division at the Bhabha Atomic Research Center in Mumbai, India, said: “Filamentous fungi, such as Aspergillus fumigatus are very good candidates for the development of extracellular processes as they secret a variety of enzymes and are easy to grow and simple to handle. The synthesis process in our experiments was quite fast and silver nanoparticles were formed within minutes of silver ion coming in contact with the cell filtrate.” Silver nanoparticles are used for solar energy absorption, polarizing filters and catalysts, electronics, anti-microbial agents, and more.
