Potential Application of Nanoparticles as Antipathogens - Advanced Materials for Agriculture, Food and Environmental Safety - page 331

12
Potential Application of Nanoparticles as
Antipathogens
Pratima Chauhan* 1 , Mini Mishra 2 and Deepika Gupta 2
1 Department of Physics, University of Allahabad, Allahabad, India
2 Department of Environmental Studies, University of Allahabad, India
Abstract
Pathogens are responsible for millions of diseases, disabilities and deaths every
year. h e ability to control and destroy pathogens is therefore of enormous impor-
tance to healthcare, food, drink, water treatment and agriculture, as well as the
military. Nanomaterials have potential of wide -ranging industrial, biomedi-
cal and electronic applications. Recently, many researchers have been trying to
develop nanostructures which can i nd wide applications for use as Antipathogens.
Nanomaterials lay mid way between atomic scale and bulk, having properties dif-
ferent from that of bulk. Biomaterials with nanoscale organizations can be used
as controlled-release reservoirs for drug delivery as a promising tool to support
cell therapy. Metal-based nanoparticles constitute an ef ective antimicrobial agent
against common pathogenic microorganisms. Some nanoparticles such as silver,
gold, titanium dioxide and zinc oxide are receiving considerable attention as anti-
microbials. Dif erent nanosystems control, kill or disable pathogens dif erently.
Keywords: Nanomaterials, microorganisms, Antipathogens
12.1 Introduction
h e i rst research in nanoscience and technology can be traced back to
over i ve decades and was described in a lecture entitled “h ere's Plenty
of Room at the Bottom,” by Richard P. Feynman in 1959. h e word