Abstract
Microbial synthesis of nanocomposite is a green chemistry eco-friendly method. It is a branch of nanoscience for biomedical applications that interconnects nanotechnology and microbial biotechnology. It is only recently that microorganisms have been explored as potential biofactories for synthesis of metal nanoparticles and nanocomposites. By this method, the production efficiency of nanoparticles is very high permitting to relatively easy scale-up the process. Biosynthesis of selenium nanocomposites in aerobic conditions by yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, is reported in the present study. Treating sodium selenite solutions with S. cerevisiae cells and rapid reduction leads to the formation of highly stable selenium nanoparticles in solution. UV spectrum, XRD and SEM analysis of the selenium nanocomposites indicated that they are in the range of size from 30 to 100 nm size. The nanocomposites were further analyzed for antimicrobial activity against a panel of nosocomial infection causing pathogenic bacteria, and they exhibited significant antimicrobial activity.