We use metal nanoparticles in a variety of applications—magnetic resonance imaging, drug delivery, environmental sensing, catalysis, textile engineering, and more. Some of these applications use precious metals (e.g., gold, silver, etc.), and, obviously being able to recycle these metals from waste would be highly useful. And it would be even better if we were to do that in a green way.

Ironically, one of the common applications for these nanoparticles is as anti-fungal agents.

A new review article published in Nanoscale Research Letters by Khwaja Salahuddin Siddiqi and Azamal Husen titled “Fabrication of Metal Nanoparticles from Fungi and Metal Salts: Scope and Applications” takes a look back at recent developments in using fungi’s natural services (i.e., the enzymes they produce) to separate metal elements from their salt compounds found in the trash, and to manufacture useable metal nanoparticles.

The review takes a look at recent literature detailing the extraction and manufacture of nanoparticles of gold, silver, zinc and titanium compounds, and more, by use of various fungus species, for example, Penicillium brevicompactum, two species of genus Aspergillus, Candida albicans, and more.

Siddiqi and Husen look not only at the manufacturing techniques, but also at applications. Ironically, one of the common applications for these nanoparticles? As anti-infective agents—anti-fungal ones, specifically. They looked at current research into using these nanoparticles as anti-fungal agents in agriculture, as possible replacements for more traditional pesticides.

You can read the entire review here.