Authors: Manjunatha S Aradhya
Abstract: The human and environmental microbiomes constitute complex microbial ecosystems that play vital roles in maintaining ecological balance and promoting health. With the rapid advancement of nanotechnology, engineered nanoparticles (ENPs) are increasingly entering natural and clinical environments, raising concerns and opportunities regarding their interaction with microbial communities. The emerging interface between nanoparticles and the microbiome, termed the microbiome-nanoparticle nexus, represents a multidisciplinary frontier with significant implications for ecology and biomedicine. This review explores the dynamic interactions between various types of nanoparticles and the microbiome across environmental and host-associated settings. It examines how nanoparticles influence microbial diversity, metabolic functions, and resilience, while also evaluating microbial roles in nanoparticle transformation, detoxification, and biosynthesis. The biomedical potential of microbiome-engineered nanomaterials for drug delivery, diagnostics, and immunomodulation is critically discussed. Challenges related to nanoparticle toxicity, resistance evolution, and regulatory gaps are addressed. The review emphasizes the need for integrative approaches combining microbiology, nanoscience, and systems biology to fully understand and harness the microbiome-nanoparticle nexus for ecological sustainability and human health.
DOI: http://doi.org/10.61137/ijsret.vol.8.issue6.570
