Recent progress in actuation technologies of micro/nanorobots

• Ke Xu and
• Bing Liu

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 756–765, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.59

• proposed the idea of using microrobots in medical treatment. It has been envisioned that nanorobots could be implanted into human bodies to self-replicate and kill various viruses. Scientists have been more and more enthusiastic about the research on micro/nanorobots. The combination of micro/nanorobots

A review on nanostructured silver as a basic ingredient in medicine: physicochemical parameters and characterization

• Gabriel M. Misirli,
• Kishore Sridharan and
• Shirley M. P. Abrantes

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 440–461, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.36

• virucidal agent, places silver as one of the future biocidal candidates in the field of nanomedicine to eliminate bacteria and viruses, especially multidrug resistant ones. In this review, we have described the various morphologies of AgNPs and correlated the enhanced bactericidal activity with their

• various bacteria and viruses including the SARS-CoV-2 was analyzed in order to understand its effectiveness as an antimicrobial agent with therapeutic efficacy and low toxicity. Further, there is the need to characterize AgNPs and quantify the content of free Ag+ for the implementation of new systematic

• antibiotics is dramatically increasing and the World Health Organization (WHO) has marked this concern as one of the greatest threats to health [18]. It is known that viruses are a major cause of illness and death in the world. However, even after much effort, vaccines could not be developed against some

Imaging of SARS-CoV-2 infected Vero E6 cells by helium ion microscopy

• Natalie Frese,
• Patrick Schmerer,
• Martin Wortmann,
• Matthias Schürmann,
• Matthias König,
• Michael Westphal,
• Friedemann Weber,
• Holger Sudhoff and
• Armin Gölzhäuser

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 172–179, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.13

• bioimaging, especially for the imaging of interactions between viruses and their host organisms. Keywords: bioimaging; cell membrane; charge compensation; helium ion microscopy; SARS-CoV-2; Vero E6 cells; Introduction The last decade of helium ion microscopy (HIM) was characterized by a rapid exploration

• field of cell biology for imaging various human and animal cells. These include cartilage [2], cancer [3], liver [4], kidney [5] and stem cells [6], as well as fibrin fibers [7]. To visualize viruses and their host organisms, HIM has so far been applied to image T4 phage-infected E. coli bacteria [8

• mammalian cells and indicate lipid nanodomains or caveolea [6]. Figure 1c shows an evaluation of the virus particle size in five arbitrarily chosen regions on the MOI 1 sample resulting in an average diameter of the virus particles of 75 ± 13 nm, noting that this value has been obtained from viruses after

A review on the green and sustainable synthesis of silver nanoparticles and one-dimensional silver nanostructures

• Sina Kaabipour and
• Shohreh Hemmati

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 102–136, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.9

• compounds. The term used for addressing these methods is also referred to as “biological” synthesis. Previous studies have used bacteria [167][168][169][170], fungi [171][172][173][174], viruses [175][176], yeasts [177][178][179], plants [180][181][182][183] and plant extracts [166][184][185][186][187][188

• desired type of plant or organism [252], which is also called biological synthesis. Bio-based reducing agents include microorganisms or biologically produced material. Microorganisms consisting of viruses, microalgae, fungi, yeast, and bacteria were previously used to synthesize AgNPs. Unlike physical

• promising approach towards the production of AgNPs; however, the pathogenic behavior of the fungi and long synthesis periods compared to other green methods makes it inferior among green synthesis processes. 3.3 Plant virus template-mediated synthesis Plant-based viruses as biotemplates have been rarely

Bio-imaging with the helium-ion microscope: A review

• Matthias Schmidt,
• James M. Byrne and
• Ilari J. Maasilta

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 1–23, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.1

• , HIM is not just an imaging technique. The ability to use the instrument for milling biological objects as small as viruses offers unique opportunities which are not possible with more conventional focused ion beams, such as gallium. Several pioneering technical developments, such as methods to couple

• the tiniest creatures that were obtained in these studies are discussed in the following. Virus particles/bacteriophages Bacteriophages are viruses that use bacteria as hosts, often causing lysis of the bacterial cell at the stage where new virus particles are released from the cell. For this reason

• systems. One more recent example was in a study by Sharma et al. [18] in which environmental sediment samples were imaged using HIM with findings of viruses attached to bacteria. For bacteriophage imaging, the strength of HIM lies not just in the resolution, which is higher than that of SEM, but in the

Electrokinetic characterization of synthetic protein nanoparticles

• Daniel F. Quevedo,
• Cody J. Lentz,
• Adriana Coll de Peña,
• Yazmin Hernandez,
• Nahal Habibi,
• Rikako Miki,
• Joerg Lahann and
• Blanca H. Lapizco-Encinas

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2020, 11, 1556–1567, doi:10.3762/bjnano.11.138

• posts, as proposed by Coll De Peña et al. [25]. EK microscale techniques can be used to manipulate particles across several sizes [27], ranging from proteins [28][29][30], to viruses [31], cells [32][33], and parasites [34]. Traditionally, these type of studies at the microscale were labeled as DEP

Antimicrobial metal-based nanoparticles: a review on their synthesis, types and antimicrobial action

• Matías Guerrero Correa,
• Fernanda B. Martínez,
• Cristian Patiño Vidal,
• Camilo Streitt,
• Juan Escrig and
• Carol Lopez de Dicastillo

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2020, 11, 1450–1469, doi:10.3762/bjnano.11.129

• metallic NPs due to their high efficiency against bacteria, fungi, and viruses. Their high antimicrobial activity enables use in pharmaceutical, food, fabric, and packaging industries [97][98][99]. Nanda et al. (2018) obtained Ag NPs through green synthesis methods by using different extracts of the fungus

Luminescent gold nanoclusters for bioimaging applications

• Nonappa

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2020, 11, 533–546, doi:10.3762/bjnano.11.42

• been previously summarized in several reports [54][78][79][80][81][82]. This review discusses an overview of the application of gold NCs in biosensing and bioimaging. Importantly, the sensing of pathogenic bacteria and viruses, in vitro imaging of cell lines and in vivo bioimaging using animal models

• Hepatitis C viruses with HIV-1 p24 antigen. The clinical validation using samples from HIV-positive tested patients also demonstrated the efficacy of AuNCIA detection and no false negatives were observed. This suggests that AuNCs with appropriate labeling and surface functionalization offer new avenues for

Brome mosaic virus-like particles as siRNA nanocarriers for biomedical purposes

• Alfredo Nuñez-Rivera,
• Pierrick G. J. Fournier,
• Danna L. Arellano,
• Ana G. Rodriguez-Hernandez,
• Rafael Vazquez-Duhalt and
• Ruben D. Cadena-Nava

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2020, 11, 372–382, doi:10.3762/bjnano.11.28

• Educación Superior de Ensenada, Baja California, (CICESE), Ensenada, Baja California, México 10.3762/bjnano.11.28 Abstract There is an increasing interest in the use of plant viruses as vehicles for anti-cancer therapy. In particular, the plant virus brome mosaic virus (BMV) and cowpea chlorotic mottle

• virus (CCMV) are novel potential nanocarriers for different therapies in nanomedicine. In this work, BMV and CCMV were loaded with a fluorophore and assayed on breast tumor cells. The viruses BMV and CCMV were internalized into breast tumor cells. Both viruses, BMV and CCMV, did not show cytotoxic

• ]. Recently, the use of VLPs with high loading capacity and biocompatibility has reached clinical stages [16][17]. Plant virus VLPs have received less attention, since for most of the viral vector developments bacteriophages and complex mammalian viruses are used. However, due to their easy production

Interactions at the cell membrane and pathways of internalization of nano-sized materials for nanomedicine

• Valentina Francia,
• Daphne Montizaan and
• Anna Salvati

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2020, 11, 338–353, doi:10.3762/bjnano.11.25

• [160][161], or by inducing bending of the plasma membrane [162][163], as already observed with certain viruses [164]. These changes in membrane dynamics might as well be a trigger for the endocytosis of nanoparticles via alternative mechanisms, which are not yet fully characterized. Extracting

• endosomal compartment, including – among others – via the so-called “proton sponge effect” [170][171]. Materials capable to induce this proton sponge effect started to find their application in vivo only recently [172]. Several other strategies are being developed, including some inspired by viruses and

Internalization mechanisms of cell-penetrating peptides

• Ivana Ruseska and
• Andreas Zimmer

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2020, 11, 101–123, doi:10.3762/bjnano.11.10

A review of demodulation techniques for multifrequency atomic force microscopy

• David M. Harcombe,
• Michael G. Ruppert and
• Andrew J. Fleming

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2020, 11, 76–91, doi:10.3762/bjnano.11.8

• components. Small interaction forces associated with higher-harmonic AFM have been imaged in free air [18] as well as liquid [19]. This has lead to relatively large biological objects being imaged including viruses [20] and cells [21]. Multimodal AFM, where two or more resonance frequencies are driven, has

Label-free highly sensitive probe detection with novel hierarchical SERS substrates fabricated by nanoindentation and chemical reaction methods

• Jingran Zhang,
• Tianqi Jia,
• Yongda Yan,
• Li Wang,
• Peng Miao,
• Yimin Han,
• Xinming Zhang,
• Guangfeng Shi,
• Yanquan Geng,
• Zhankun Weng,
• Daniel Laipple and
• Zuobin Wang

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 2483–2496, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.239

• include not only complex micro/nanostructures, but also Ag nanoparticles are generated on the Cu(110) surface. This method can be successfully applied to discriminate pesticide residues or viruses at very small quantities. Results and Discussion Morphological characterization for various feeds Scanning

Mannosylated brush copolymers based on poly(ethylene glycol) and poly(ε-caprolactone) as multivalent lectin-binding nanomaterials

• Stefania Ordanini,
• Wanda Celentano,
• Anna Bernardi and
• Francesco Cellesi

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 2192–2206, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.212

• interactions drive pathological events, such as cellular infections by viruses (e.g., HIV and Ebola [1][2]) and toxins (e.g., Shiga and Cholera toxins [3]). Carbohydrate–protein interactions in biological systems are mostly multivalent, which allows one to enhance their strength with respect to the weak single

Gold-coated plant virus as computed tomography imaging contrast agent

• Alaa A. A. Aljabali,
• Mazhar S. Al Zoubi,
• Khalid M. Al-Batanyeh,
• Ali Al-Radaideh,
• Mohammad A. Obeid,
• Abeer Al Sharabi,
• Walhan Alshaer,
• Bayan AbuFares,
• Tasnim Al-Zanati,
• Murtaza M. Tambuwala,
• Naveed Akbar and
• David J. Evans

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 1983–1993, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.195

• Park, Norwich, UK 10.3762/bjnano.10.195 Abstract Chemical modification of the surface of viruses, both the interior and the exterior, imparts new functionalities, that have potential applications in nanomedicine. In this study, we developed novel virus-based nanomaterials as a contrast agent for

• ; computed tomography (CT); gold; nanotechnology; viruses; targeting; Introduction Numerous types of nanomaterials are currently under investigation in medicine, including dendrimers, polymeric nanoparticles (NPs), liposomes and protein-based NPs. Each system has advantages and disadvantages in terms of its

Enhanced inhibition of influenza virus infection by peptide–noble-metal nanoparticle conjugates

• Zaid K. Alghrair,
• David G. Fernig and
• Bahram Ebrahimi

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 1038–1047, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.104

• -assortment [2]. Other potential risks to human populations are the zoonotic avian (bird) and porcine (swine) influenza viruses. Vaccination remains the most effective means to prevent and control infection [3]. However, the lead time to vaccine production is around nine months, efficacy is not always

• therapeutic use of other antiviral peptides has been demonstrated in HIV [8][9], hepatitis C [10], herpes simplex [11][12], influenza virus [13][14][15]. The infectivity of influenza A viruses, including the H1N1 subtype, is strongly inhibited by a peptide called FluPep [15]. FluPep was originally identified

• exert its antiviral activity from the outside of the cell. Thus, the addition of FluPep to cells in culture prevents infection by influenza viruses, as does intranasal delivery of the peptide in a murine model of human influenza [15]. Noble-metal nanoparticles possess a strong plasmon absorbance, which

Biomimetic synthesis of Ag-coated glasswing butterfly arrays as ultra-sensitive SERS substrates for efficient trace detection of pesticides

• Guochao Shi,
• Mingli Wang,
• Yanying Zhu,
• Yuhong Wang,
• Xiaoya Yan,
• Xin Sun,
• Haijun Xu and
• Wanli Ma

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 578–588, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.59

• deal of “hot spots” and binding sites for probe molecules within the laser illumination spot [27]. Cicada wings were used in their experiment because they comprise periodic and large-scale micro/nanostructures. They were applied in the label-free detection and sensing of animal viruses. Later, via a

Targeting strategies for improving the efficacy of nanomedicine in oncology

• Gonzalo Villaverde and
• Alejandro Baeza

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 168–181, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.16

• eliminating them before the appearance of any symptoms. Nanoparticles can interact with cells, bacteria and viruses in a very intimate and efficient way because they present a similar size than these biological entities [1]. This close interaction has been exploited for achieving important abilities such as

• species that act on DNA or the direct delivery of genes to their place of action. Viruses are one of the inspiration sources for strategies to reach the inner nuclear space. They contain on their membrane small peptide sequences with nuclear translocation capacity such as the KKKRKV peptide in simian

Block copolymers for designing nanostructured porous coatings

• Roberto Nisticò

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 2332–2344, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.218

• many separation processes of complex matrices, such as in the clarification of beverages (i.e., milk, beer, and juices), the remediation of polluted water, or in the selective removal of bacteria and viruses from bloods. The main advantage of this technique is that membrane technology is a simple

Review on nanoparticles and nanostructured materials: history, sources, toxicity and regulations

• Jaison Jeevanandam,
• Ahmed Barhoum,
• Yen S. Chan,
• Alain Dufresne and
• Michael K. Danquah

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 1050–1074, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.98

• produced nanomaterials Apart from incidental and engineered nanomaterials, nanoparticles and nanostructures are present in living organisms ranging from microorganisms, such as bacteria, algae and viruses, to complex organisms, such as plants, insects, birds, animals and humans. Recent developments in the

• nanomaterials that include a massive range of organisms, for example, nanobacteria, viruses as well as fungi, algae, and yeast that can produce nanoparticles in their bodies. Viruses: Viruses are the largest structurally characterized molecular assemblies known to date, which can be a non-living crystal and a

• living organism inside host cells. Generally, they are considered to be harmful as they cause disease in bacteria [121], plants [122], animals [123] and humans [124]. Advances in molecular biology have increased the possibility to genetically tailor viruses for use as catalysts and bio-scaffolds

Enzymatically promoted release of organic molecules linked to magnetic nanoparticles

• Chiara Lambruschini,
• Silvia Villa,
• Luca Banfi,
• Fabio Canepa,
• Fabio Morana,
• Annalisa Relini,
• Paola Riani,
• Renata Riva and
• Fulvio Silvetti

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 986–999, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.92

• cancer cells. To achieve selectivity, there are two main strategies. In the first one, the enzyme is exogenous and is artificially introduced into the body and selectively targeted to the tumour tissue using genes, viruses or antibodies (GDEPT, VDEPT, and ADEPT, respectively). Alternatively, the enzyme

Noble metal-modified titania with visible-light activity for the decomposition of microorganisms

• Maya Endo,
• Zhishun Wei,
• Kunlei Wang,
• Baris Karabiyik,
• Kenta Yoshiiri,
• Paulina Rokicka,
• Bunsho Ohtani,
• Agata Markowska-Szczupak and
• Ewa Kowalska

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 829–841, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.77

• only a low effect on some pathogenic protozoa (e.g., Cryptosporidium sp. responsible for diarrhoea and even the death of immunocompromised patients) and viruses (e.g., norovirus). In contrast, UV disinfection is highly efficient against various microorganisms (even viruses) since absorption of UV light

• (λ = 253.7 nm) by nucleic acids induces the damage of genetic information and inactivation. However, it should be pointed out that chlorine disinfection is often complementary used because: (i) some viruses have low sensitivity to UV irradiation (e.g., adenovirus), and (ii) the lack of residual

• promote new ones. Moreover, fungi as more complex microorganisms than bacteria and viruses are much more resistant to antimicrobial agents. Therefore, there is a great need to develop new efficient antifungal materials. Regarding this, the antifungal properties of plasmonic photocatalysts have been tested

Liquid-crystalline nanoarchitectures for tissue engineering

• Baeckkyoung Sung and
• Min-Ho Kim

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 205–215, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.22

• DNA, collagen, chitin, viruses, as well as phospholipids and cellulose [23][24]. In test tubes, biocolloidal systems can be finely tuned to form self-organized structures by complex interplays between entropic and enthalpic driving forces, electrostatic and viscoelastic effects, and hydrophilic and

• transitions can be quantitatively characterized by Onsager’s theory [44]. In addition, various types of rod-like viruses (fd, M13, f1 virus and TMV) have been considered as template materials for tissue regeneration. The rod-like viruses have been shown to undergo a series of lyotropic phase transitions from

• colleagues [91][92][93][94]. Specifically, substrates of ordered rod-like viruses in the nematic phase have been utilized for directed 2D growth of cells. In this case, viruses are genetically modified to express integrin-binding motifs on their major coat proteins by using phage display techniques

Photobleaching of YOYO-1 in super-resolution single DNA fluorescence imaging

• Joseph R. Pyle and
• Jixin Chen

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2017, 8, 2296–2306, doi:10.3762/bjnano.8.229

• theoretically predicted with the proposed method in this report. Keywords: diffusion; PAINT; single-molecule photophysics; super-resolution imaging; Introduction Fluorescence imaging of DNA with intercalating dyes is important for DNA sensing [1][2], nucleic acid imaging inside cells and viruses [3][4][5

Selective photodissociation of tailored molecular tags as a tool for quantum optics

• Ugur Sezer,
• Philipp Geyer,
• Moritz Kriegleder,
• Maxime Debiossac,
• Armin Shayeghi,
• Markus Arndt,
• Lukas Felix and
• Marcel Mayor

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2017, 8, 325–333, doi:10.3762/bjnano.8.35

• objects. Both will be crucial for molecular quantum optics and future matter-wave experiments. An open future challenge will be to explore how well this method scales with the size of particles from individual monomer to trimers, chromophore-labelled biomolecules up to decorated viruses, as displayed as