Micro- and nanoscale effects in biological and bioinspired materials and surfaces

• Thies H. Büscher,
• Rhainer Guillermo Ferreira,
• Manuela Rebora and
• Stanislav N. Gorb

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2026, 17, 214–217, doi:10.3762/bjnano.17.14

• biological surface features to improve transport and effects of drugs, biological systems can be suitable templates for recognition of biomolecules. The review by Gharibzahedi and Altintas [27] provides a timely and comprehensive overview of recent advances in optical biosensing technologies for the

Safe and sustainable by design with ML/AI: A transformative approach to advancing nanotechnology

• Georgia Melagraki

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2026, 17, 176–185, doi:10.3762/bjnano.17.11

• , their interactions with biomolecules and toxicity endpoints that may be overlooked by traditional methods [39][40][41]. (3) Lifecycle modelling: AI-assisted simulations and probabilistic methods support comprehensive lifecycle analyses including prospective approaches, evaluating environmental fate and

From shield to spear: Charge-reversible nanocarriers in overcoming cancer therapy barriers

• Madhuri Yeduvaka,
• Pooja Mittal,
• Ameer Boyalakuntla,
• Usman Bee Shaik,
• Himanshu Sharma,
• Thakur Gurjeet Singh,
• Siva Nageswara Rao Gajula and
• Lakshmi Vineela Nalla

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2026, 17, 159–175, doi:10.3762/bjnano.17.10

• biodistribution while protecting fragile biomolecules such as proteins and nucleic acids [11]. Through targeted and sustained release, these systems enhance therapeutic efficacy, prolong circulation, and reduce systemic toxicity compared to conventional formulations [12][13]. As illustrated in Figure 1

Influence of surface characteristics on the in vitro stability and cell uptake of nanoliposomes for brain delivery

• Dushko Shalabalija,
• Ljubica Mihailova,
• Nikola Geskovski,
• Andreas Zimmer,
• Otmar Geiss,
• Sabrina Gioria,
• Diletta Scaccabarozzi and
• Marija Glavas Dodov

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2026, 17, 139–158, doi:10.3762/bjnano.17.9

• exposed to biological fluids, nanodelivery systems, including NLs, rapidly interact with various biomolecules which have a significant impact on the functionality and fate of the nanosystems but also influence cellular biological functions. Hence, the primary objective of this study was to elucidate the

• NLs interact with biomolecules, thus forming a protein corona (PC), altering functional proteins, and engaging in redox reactions with reactive species [6]. These interactions can affect the functionality, biodistribution, targeting, and cell internalization of NLs. Serum components can disrupt the

Development and in vitro evaluation of liposomes and immunoliposomes containing 5-fluorouracil and R-phycoerythrin as a potential phototheranostic system for colorectal cancer

• Raissa Rodrigues Camelo,
• Vivianne Cortez Sombra Vandesmet,
• Octavio Vital Baccallini,
• José de Brito Vieira Neto,
• Thais da Silva Moreira,
• Luzia Kalyne Almeida Moreira Leal,
• Claudia Pessoa,
• Daniel Giuliano Cerri,
• Maria Vitória Lopes Badra Bentley,
• Josimar O. Eloy,
• Ivanildo José da Silva Júnior and
• Raquel Petrilli

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2026, 17, 97–121, doi:10.3762/bjnano.17.7

• lipophilic substances. Furthermore, liposomes can also act as a protein delivery system, reducing enzymatic degradation of proteins and enhancing their stability and their permeability through cell membranes [7]. Immunoliposomes provide many advantages by surface functionalization with targeting biomolecules

• extracted R-PE (0.73) suggests the presence of other biomolecules – such as polysaccharides and residual proteins – which may further contribute to membrane stabilization during liposome formation [15]. For 5-FU, no significant difference was observed between the HSPC 25 and HSPC 50 formulations, which may

• ), suggesting more distinct surface peaks and valleys, consistent with the functionalization process, which increase roughness and significant topographical variations caused by the conjugated biomolecules. As seen above, the differences between formulations were statistically significant, it is noteworthy that

Chiral plasmonic nanostructures fabricated with circularly polarized light

• Tian Qiao and
• Ming Lee Tang

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 2245–2264, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.154

• generating detailed information on biomolecules, such as the hierarchy of protein structures [146][147][148]. The superchiral field of cPNSs has also been utilized to selectively modulate the excitation and spontaneous emission rate of valley excitons in transition metal dichalcogenide (TMDC) monolayers [156

Optical bio/chemical sensors for vitamin B₁₂ analysis in food and pharmaceuticals: state of the art, challenges, and future outlooks

• Seyed Mohammad Taghi Gharibzahedi and
• Zeynep Altintas

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 2207–2244, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.153

• nanoscale, serve as an advanced spectroscopic platform for improved molecular identification. They highlighted graphene’s potential in biosensing owing to its capability to be functionalized with dissimilar biomolecules such as enzymes and DNA. In their study, they presented a quantitative bioassay

Ultrathin water layers on mannosylated gold nanoparticles

• Maiara A. Iriarte Alonso,
• Jorge H. Melillo,
• Silvina Cerveny,
• Yujin Tong and
• Alexander M. Bittner

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 2183–2198, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.151

• easily be dried, while the traces of water remain. This is similar to a strongly bound water (mono)layer on biomolecules. The dimanno-AuNPs, under the same conditions, exhibit a very different spectrum. The C–H stretching bands at 2850 and 2920 cm−1 (see also FTIR measurements) are “negative”, that is

PEGylated lipids in lipid nanoparticle delivery dynamics and therapeutic innovation

• Peiyang Gao

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 1914–1930, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.133

• physicochemical properties would be PEG-specific and not translatable between studies. LNP pegylation-associated trade-off between nonspecific binding and cellular interactions When LNPs are introduced into biological systems, they encounter a complex milieu of biomolecules, predominantly proteins, which can

Prospects of nanotechnology and natural products for cancer and immunotherapy

• Jan Filipe Andrade Santos,
• Marcela Bernardes Brasileiro,
• Pamela Danielle Cavalcante Barreto,
• Ligiane Aranha Rocha and
• José Adão Carvalho Nascimento Júnior

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 1644–1667, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.116

Venom-loaded cationic-functionalized poly(lactic acid) nanoparticles for serum production against Tityus serrulatus scorpion

• Philippe de Castro Mesquita,
• Karla Samara Rocha Soares,
• Manoela Torres-Rêgo,
• Emanuell dos Santos-Silva,
• Mariana Farias Alves-Silva,
• Alianda Maira Cornélio,
• Matheus de Freitas Fernandes-Pedrosa and
• Arnóbio Antônio da Silva-Júnior

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 1633–1643, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.115

• nanoparticles can be modified to achieve high protein loading or avoid a rapid cellular uptake. Using different strategies, nanoparticles have been functionalized with a variety of ligands such as small molecules, surfactants, polymers, and biomolecules [21][22]. The use of cationic molecules, as

• polyethylenimine (PEI), to change the surface of nanoparticles to a positive potential, improving the interaction with negatively charged biomolecules, is one strategy successfully employed for gene delivery [20][23][24]. These cationic nanoparticles have an absent or weak electrostatic interaction with negatively

• charged peptides, proteins, antigens, oligonucleotides, polypeptides, or DNA [18]. The PLA is well established to produce nanoparticles as carriers for drugs or biomolecules from a biotechnology source due to its natural metabolism pathway [25][26]. In a recent study, PLA was successfully employed to

Cross-reactivities in conjugation reactions involving iron oxide nanoparticles

• Shoronia N. Cross,
• Katalin V. Korpany,
• Hanine Zakaria and
• Amy Szuchmacher Blum

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 1504–1521, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.106

• IONPs, using either amine- or carboxylic acid-functionalized IONPs, especially when biomolecules, such as proteins or peptides, are involved [3][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14]. Sharpless et al. [6] have generally defined “click chemistry” as chemical processes that are highly selective, have a high

Better together: biomimetic nanomedicines for high performance tumor therapy

• Imran Shair Mohammad,
• Gizem Kursunluoglu,
• Anup Kumar Patel,
• Hafiz Muhammad Ishaq,
• Cansu Umran Tunc,
• Dilek Kanarya,
• Mubashar Rehman,
• Omer Aydin and
• Yin Lifang

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 1246–1276, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.92

• essential to maintain hemostasis by binding various biomolecules circulating in blood. They not only maintain the electrolyte and osmotic pressure but also deliver a variety of molecules across the body [73][74]. Peptides possess different functional groups on their surface that can act as a template for

Hydrogels and nanogels: effectiveness in dermal applications

• Jéssica da Cruz Ludwig,
• Diana Fortkamp Grigoletto,
• Daniele Fernanda Renzi,
• Wolf-Rainer Abraham,
• Daniel de Paula and
• Najeh Maissar Khalil

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 1216–1233, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.90

• embedded in hydrophilic solvents, usually water, which can carry active materials and biomolecules [11][12][13]. After hydration in an aqueous environment, the hydrogel structure is created by hydrophilic groups or regions arranged in a polymeric network [14]. Hydrogels present interesting properties

• , such as primary amines and sulfhydryl groups on proteins or other biomolecules. The reactive chemical group is the most important property of a cross-linker. The reactive group establishes the method and mechanism for polymer modification [43][45]. Harsh conditions such as low pH and high temperature

• temperature and polymer concentration [130]. Chitosan-based hydrogels have aroused a lot of interest in the health sciences field due to their biocompatibility, biodegradability, and low cytotoxicity [131]. This makes them attractive as a promising material for topical administration of biomolecules such as

Investigation of the solubility of protoporphyrin IX in aqueous and hydroalcoholic solvent systems

• Michelly de Sá Matsuoka,
• Giovanna Carla Cadini Ruiz,
• Marcos Luciano Bruschi and
• Jéssica Bassi da Silva

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 1209–1215, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.89

• , at a specific wavelength, PpIX absorbs energy and transfers it to molecular oxygen, generating reactive oxygen species (ROS). These ROS are highly toxic to cells, inducing oxidative damage in various biomolecules such as lipids, proteins and DNA, leading to cell death [6][7]. However, PpIX and other

Soft materials nanoarchitectonics: liquid crystals, polymers, gels, biomaterials, and others

• Katsuhiko Ariga

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 1025–1067, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.77

• composition of living cells and organisms includes a multitude of biomolecules, which can be regulated in terms of both concentration and spatial distribution. This enables the exertion of complex biological functions. Synthetic multinetwork hydrogels can be considered analogous to extracellular matrices, and

Supramolecular hydration structure of graphene-based hydrogels: density functional theory, green chemistry and interface application

• Hon Nhien Le,
• Duy Khanh Nguyen,
• Minh Triet Dang,
• Huyen Trinh Nguyen,
• Thi Bang Tam Dao,
• Trung Do Nguyen,
• Chi Nhan Ha Thuc and
• Van Hieu Le

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 806–822, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.61

• play an essential role in the structure and function of biomolecules (deoxyribonucleic acid, protein, and phospholipid membrane). Hydration layers are also important to the structure and property of artificial graphene-based materials. Our recent works prove that graphene-based hydrogels are

• advance nanoscale properties and nanotechnology applications. Keywords: antibacterial coating; bioinspired hydration; density functional theory; graphene-based hydrogel; supramolecular structure; Introduction Biological cells are assemblies of biomolecules that are hydrated with water molecules. The

• cell content includes about 70–95% water that creates an aqueous environment for biological processes. Water molecules are bound to biomolecular surfaces and participate in the structuring and functioning of biomolecules, typically the folding of protein and the twisting of the double helix of

Serum heat inactivation diminishes ApoE-mediated uptake of D-Lin-MC3-DMA lipid nanoparticles

• Demian van Straten,
• Luuk van de Schepop,
• Rowan Frunt,
• Pieter Vader and
• Raymond M. Schiffelers

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 740–748, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.57

• and efficacy [1]. It is becoming increasingly clear that the biological fate and overall performance of nanoparticles are influenced by their interaction with the bioenvironment. As a nanoparticle interacts with a biological matrix upon administration, a layer of biomolecules, primarily composed of

Colloidal few layered graphene–tannic acid preserves the biocompatibility of periodontal ligament cells

• Teissir Ben Ammar,
• Naji Kharouf,
• Dominique Vautier,
• Housseinou Ba,
• Nivedita Sudheer,
• Philippe Lavalle and
• Vincent Ball

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 664–677, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.51

• antioxidant properties at lower concentrations, TA can act as a prooxidant at higher concentrations. Under these conditions, it binds to metal ions, potentially increasing oxidation and causing damage to biomolecules, especially DNA [17]. Doping GBMs with bioactive molecules like TA represents a potentially

Nanomaterials in targeting amyloid-β oligomers: current advances and future directions for Alzheimer's disease diagnosis and therapy

• Shiwani Randhawa,
• Trilok Chand Saini,
• Manik Bathla,
• Rahul Bhardwaj,
• Rubina Dhiman and
• Amitabha Acharya

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 561–580, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.44

• physicochemical properties, diverse structural forms, and potential applications in combating NDs. The unique characteristics of CNMs, including their hydrophobic surfaces and variable dimensions, enable them to interact effectively with biomolecules, making them valuable tools in biomedical research and

• profile of biomolecules they carry, which reflect the characteristics of their parent cells. These biomolecules, including proteins, nucleic acids, and lipids, serve as a “fingerprint” of the originating cells. When cellular conditions change, such as during disease progression, alterations in the

Functionalized gold nanoflowers on carbon screen-printed electrodes: an electrochemical platform for biosensing hemagglutinin protein of influenza A H1N1 virus

• Carlos Enrique Torres-Méndez,
• Sharmilee Nandi,
• Klara Martinovic,
• Patrizia Kühne,
• Yifan Liu,
• Sam Taylor,
• Maria Lysandrou,
• Maria Ines Berrojo Romeyro Mascarenhas,
• Viktoria Langwallner,
• Javier Enrique Sebastián Alonso,
• Ivana Jovanovic,
• Maike Lüftner,
• Georgia-Vasiliki Gkountana,
• David Bern,
• Abdul-Raouf Atif,
• Ehsan Manouchehri Doulabi,
• Gemma Mestres and
• Masood Kamali-Moghaddam

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 540–550, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.42

• , and sensitivity [8]. In the last few years, various biosensors for the detection of influenza A H1N1 virus have been developed. Detection of influenza A H1N1 virus can be achieved by targeting one or more relevant biomolecules of the virus. The majority of studies have targeted H1 protein [9][10][11

Engineered PEG–PCL nanoparticles enable sensitive and selective detection of sodium dodecyl sulfate: a qualitative and quantitative analysis

• Soni Prajapati and
• Ranjana Singh

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 385–396, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.29

• , selective, and cost-effective sensor for SDS detection in an aqueous solution. The advent of nanotechnology increased their demand for developing colorimetric sensors to detect chemical compounds, toxicants, nutrients, and biomolecules. The nanotechnology field consists of synthesis, characterization, and

Enhancing mechanical properties of chitosan/PVA electrospun nanofibers: a comprehensive review

• Nur Areisman Mohd Salleh,
• Amalina Muhammad Afifi,
• Fathiah Mohamed Zuki and
• Hanna Sofia SalehHudin

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 286–307, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.22

• utilized in various specialized applications, such as scaffolds in tissue engineering [185], controlling drug release mechanisms through the manipulation of core and shell compositions [186], and protecting sensitive biomolecules in food packaging [187]. The combination of core–shell chitosan-based

Recent advances in photothermal nanomaterials for ophthalmic applications

• Jiayuan Zhuang,
• Linhui Jia,
• Chenghao Li,
• Rui Yang,
• Jiapeng Wang,
• Wen-an Wang,
• Heng Zhou and
• Xiangxia Luo

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 195–215, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.16

• endogenous chromophores (i.e., blood, water, and melanin) and biomolecules in the human body have a low absorption rate of NIR light. Hence, NIR has a high tissue penetration depth, which can avoid photothermal damage to healthy tissues [35][36][37]. Activation of photothermal nanomaterials with NIR light

• biomolecules, which contributes to safer photothermal therapy. In subsequent studies, after injecting exogenous collagen opacities into the vitreous of rabbit eyes for five days, free ICG was injected, and it was found that ICG could bind to the opacities. Afterwards, laser pulses were used to completely

• effectively. Research on composites of photothermal nanomaterials with other substances is currently limited, but promising therapeutic effects, especially when combined with biomolecules affecting cellular metabolism and function, have been observed. Therefore, further exploration regarding the modification

Green synthesis of silver nanoparticles derived from algae and their larvicidal properties to control Aedes aegypti

• Matheus Alves Siqueira de Assunção,
• Douglas Dourado,
• Daiane Rodrigues dos Santos,
• Gabriel Bezerra Faierstein,
• Mara Elga Medeiros Braga,
• Severino Alves Junior,
• Rosângela Maria Rodrigues Barbosa,
• Herminio José Cipriano de Sousa and
• Fábio Rocha Formiga

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 1566–1575, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.123

• , sulfated polysaccharides and other biomolecules. The latter include flavonoids, alkaloids, steroids, phenols, and saponins with hydroxy, carboxyl, and amino functional groups, which are effective agents in metal reduction and also provide a robust coating on the metallic nanoparticles in a single step [42

• activity. The authors did not highlight the period of time after which mortality was evaluated. The formation of AgNPs after mixing the extracts with silver nitrate can be due to the synergy of biomolecules with reducing activity present in the extracts binding to the surface of the particles [64]. Despite