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

Biogenic synthesis of nanoparticles (NPs) using biological organisms such as plants, fungi, and bacteria offers a sustainable, green alternative to conventional chemical synthesis. These green methods involve biological matrices mediating metal ion reduction to form NPs capped by complex biomolecula...

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Bibliographic Details
Authors: Suárez Priede, Andrés|||0000-0002-7830-0586, Gómez Sánchez, Miguel, García Cancela, Paula|||0000-0002-9118-2967, Bettmer, Jörg|||0000-0001-9923-9684, Díez García, Paula|||0000-0003-2150-6898
Format: article
Publication Date:2026
Country:España
Institution:Universidad de Oviedo (UNIOVI)
Repository:RUO. Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de Oviedo
Language:English
OAI Identifier:oai:dnet:ruo_________::20b9c115c91f80ac0948ebf0bf5e80b1
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/10651/83317
https://dx.doi.org/10.1007/S00216-025-06144-Z
Access Level:Open access
Keyword:Bioanalytical characterization techniques
Biogenic nanoparticles
Green synthesis of nanoparticles
Metallic nanoparticles
Protein corona
Description
Summary:Biogenic synthesis of nanoparticles (NPs) using biological organisms such as plants, fungi, and bacteria offers a sustainable, green alternative to conventional chemical synthesis. These green methods involve biological matrices mediating metal ion reduction to form NPs capped by complex biomolecular coronas. These protein coronas critically affect NP stability, biological identity, and functionality, including notable therapeutic potentials. Despite advancements, the dynamic and heterogeneous nature of in situ biogenic NP formation remains insufficiently understood, as most studies emphasize synthetic production using biological extracts combined with metal precursors. Moreover, characterization of biogenic NPs requires a suite of bioanalytical techniques, each offering diverse advantages but also inherent limitations, requiring a comprehensive understanding of their features to critically select the optimal combination of strategies to obtain a full descriptive picture of the studied NPs. This review critically discusses current biogenic synthesis methods alongside the complementary bioanalytical strategies employed to elucidate NP formation, corona composition, and their biological implications. By highlighting the strengths and weaknesses of available techniques, the review aims to identify key challenges and future directions necessary to advance the safe and effective development of green nanotechnologies.