Biogenic metal nanomaterials to combat antimicrobial resistance

Antimicrobial resistance is one of the biggest problems that the healthcare system faces nowadays, with an increasing burden due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Different alternatives to the current treatments of bacterial infections have been studied far away from the use of traditional antibiotics. One of them is nanotechnology, which proposes a suitable solution without the associated problems. Still, the production of different nanomaterials often shows disadvantages, such as producing toxic by-products or the need for functionalization to deliver a suitable therapeutic effect. The implementation of green nanotechnology in nanomaterials synthesis shows great potential, with specific implementation in metal-based nanomaterials. As such, this chapter revised the state of biogenic or biologically produced metal nanoparticles produced by bacteria, fungi, and plant extracts with antimicrobial applications against antibiotic-resistant strains. The chapter summarizes and discusses some of the newest advances in the field to demonstrate that these nanostructures can become a significant enhancement in the fight towards superbugs.