3. Effects of nanoparticles on micro-organisms

Certain nanoparticles composed of metal atoms, such as silver, or metal oxides, are highly promising agents for antibacterial, antifungal and/or antiviral applications. The specific antimicrobial activity of nanoparticles is attracting the attention of researchers and medical practitioners alike, as we need an alternative to antibiotics. This is all the more true today, when certain bacterial strains, such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus, are able to resist all known antibiotics. As a result, more and more research teams are developing "nanotechnology" to support medicine.

The antimicrobial efficacy of silver nanoparticles or nano-oxides increases with decreasing size, which can be correlated with total contact surface area. Nanoparticles can bind to microbial walls, causing damage either by mechanical destruction of plasma membranes or by the...