Diatoms with Invaluable Applications in Nanotechnology, Biotechnology, and Biomedicine: Recent Advances

Abstract

Diatoms are unicellular microalga found in soil and almost every aquatic environment (marine and fresh water). Biogenic silica and diatoms are attractive for biotechnological and industrial applications, especially in the field of biomedicine, industrial/synthetic manufacturing processes, and biomedical/pharmaceutical sciences. Deposition of silica by diatoms allows them to create micro- or nanoscale structures which may be utilized in nanomedicine and especially in drug/gene delivery. Diatoms with their unique architectures, good thermal stability, suitable surface area, simple chemical functionalization/modification procedures, ease of genetic manipulations, optical/photonic characteristics, mechanical resistance, and eco-friendliness, can be utilized as smart delivery platforms. The micro- to nanoscale properties of the diatom frustules have garnered a great deal of attention for their application in diverse areas of nanotechnology and biotechnology, such as bioimaging/biosensing, biosensors, drug/gene delivery, photodynamic therapy, microfluidics, biophotonics, solar cells, and molecular filtrations. Additionally, the genetically engineered diatom microalgae-derived nanoporous biosilica have enabled the targeted anticancer drug delivery to neuroblastoma and B-lymphoma cells as well as the mouse xenograft model of neuroblastoma. In this perspective, current trends and recent advances related to the applications of diatoms for the synthesis of nanoparticles, gene/drug delivery, biosensing determinations, biofuel production, and remediation of heavy metals are deliberated, including the underlying significant challenges and future perspectives.

Determination and risk assessment of heavy metals in air dust fall particles

“…In schools, the concentrations of lead, zinc, chromium, and cadmium were 5 to 10, 30 to 50, 700 to 800, 800 to 1000 mg/kg, respectively (15). The results of this study are consistent with the results of studies conducted in Iran and other parts of the world (16)(17)(18)(19)(20)(21)(22)(23).…”

Silver and Gold Nanoparticles for Antimicrobial Purposes against Multi-Drug Resistance Bacteria

“…In fact, Au NPs conjugated with biomolecules reduce bacterial cell growth [ 51 ]. Functionalized Au and Ag NPs with smaller sizes have various benefits in drug and antibiotic delivery such as regulating size and morphology, high-density surface ligands, and delivery without losing drugs which protects them from destruction [ 52 , 53 ].…”

Cytotoxicity evaluation of environmentally friendly synthesis Copper/Zinc bimetallic nanoparticles on MCF-7 cancer cells

“…Nanotechnology is a novel technology that has spread rapidly due to its transformative, miraculous and incredible effects (Cao et al 2021a ; Chu et al 2021 ). Nanotechnology has wide applications in various fields from food (Ningthoujam et al 2022 ; Parimaladevi et al 2018 ), medicine (Chu et al 2022 ), medical diagnostics (Nazari-Vanani et al 2019 ) and biotechnology (Kannan et al 2021 ; Rabiee et al 2021 ) to electronics (Song et al 2015 ), computers (Zhao et al 2021 ), communications (Zhao, Khan 2021 ), transportation (Mathew et al 2019 ), energy (Dey et al 2022 ), environment (Kannan et al 2020 ; Liu et al 2022 ), materials (Cao et al 2021b ; Wang et al 2022 ), aerospace (Haynes and Asmatulu 2013 ), and national security (Zha 2021 ). Currently, the special properties of these nanomaterials such as magnetic properties, quantum size, optical and biological properties have been considered by scientists (Luo et al 2021 ; Wang et al 2022 ; Rahdar et al 2021a ; Rahdar et al 2021b ).…”