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Deciphering the formation of biogenic nanoparticles and their protein corona: State-of-the-art and analytical challenges

Summary

Scientists have developed environmentally friendly methods to create tiny metal particles (nanoparticles) using living organisms like bacteria, fungi, and plants instead of toxic chemicals. These bioengineered nanoparticles are coated with natural biological molecules that make them safer and more stable. This review explains how these particles are made, what analytical tools scientists use to study them, and their potential uses in medicine, environmental cleanup, and agriculture.

Background

Biogenic nanoparticles (bioNPs) synthesized using biological organisms such as plants, fungi, bacteria, and algae offer sustainable alternatives to conventional chemical synthesis. These green-synthesized nanoparticles are stabilized by complex biomolecular coronas that critically affect their stability, biological identity, and functionality. Understanding the formation mechanisms and protein corona composition is essential for biomedical and environmental applications.

Objective

This review critically assesses recent advances in bioanalytical methodologies for characterizing biogenic nanoparticles with special emphasis on protein corona formation strategies. The study aims to discuss challenges and opportunities of current analytical approaches, highlight their relevance for understanding nanoparticle-biomolecule interactions, and outline future directions for advancing safe and effective development of green nanotechnologies.

Results

The review identifies two main biogenic synthesis routes (intracellular and extracellular) and discusses extract-mediated pseudo-green synthesis approaches. It provides detailed analysis of core characterization techniques (TEM, SEM, AFM, DLS, XRD, EDX, spICP-MS) and surface characterization methods (UV-Vis, FTIR, SERS, LC-MS/MS) with applications to various metal and metal oxide nanoparticles from diverse biological sources.

Conclusion

Comprehensive characterization of biogenic nanoparticles requires complementary analytical techniques as no single method provides complete information. Key challenges remain in standardizing extraction protocols, understanding protein corona dynamics, and developing reliable sample preparation procedures for bioNPs. Future advances require systematic studies to optimize bioanalytical strategies and establish standardization protocols for safe and effective biomedical applications.
  • Published in:Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry,
  • Study Type:Review,
  • Source: 10.1007/s00216-025-06144-z
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