Current Trends in Nanotechnology for Microbiological Applications: Bridging Engineering Bottlenecks in Therapy, Diagnostics and Biosensing

Nanotechnology is reshaping how we detect, profile, and eradicate multidrug-resistant pathogens and how we target intracellular organisms that evade conventional antibiotics. Beyond passive carriers, a new generation of programmable and structurally defined nanomaterials, including nucleic-acid nanostructures (DNA/RNA origami, spherical nucleic acids), inorganic and metallic nanoparticles, polymeric and dendrimeric systems, peptide and protein cages, metal–organic frameworks, and inorganic–organic hybrids, offers atomic-level control over geometry, valency, and surface chemistry. These platforms mechanically disrupt bacterial membranes and biofilms, deliver mRNA or antimicrobial cargo into recalcitrant intracellular pathogens such as Mycobacterium tuberculosis and MRSA, and underpin an expanding class of nanodiagnostic tools. By exploiting stimuli-responsive properties (such as pH shifts within acidic endosomes, redox gradients, and enzymatic triggers), they enable localized cargo release and minimize systemic toxicity.Despite their promise, translating structured nanomaterials into infection biology faces persistent hurdles distinct from those of conventional lipid carriers. Endolysosomal sequestration traps internalized nanovehicles in acidic compartments; hyper-stable architectures may fail to achieve endosomal escape, preventing cytoplasmic delivery. Nuclease- and protease-rich biological fluids quickly degrade unprotected scaffolds and ligands, necessitating chemical stabilization. Once in circulation, nanostructures develop a “protein corona” that obscures designed targeting motifs and alters geometry, reducing specificity and redirecting biodistribution. Unshielded nucleic-acid frameworks can trigger TLR9 and cGAS–STING signaling, leading to inflammation and rapid clearance. Furthermore, scaling precise 3D assembly from laboratory to industrial manufacture remains unresolved, often yielding heterogeneous, difficult-to-purify populations. Addressing these interlinked biophysical and engineering barriers is critical to realizing the clinical potential of programmable nanomedicines.This Research Topic aims to advance understanding of how smart engineering and material design can overcome structural, biophysical, and translational bottlenecks that currently limit the application of programmable nanomaterials in microbiology and infection biology. It seeks contributions exploring how architecture, surface chemistry, and assembly precision influence pathogen targeting, host response, and therapeutic or diagnostic performance. Mechanistic and interdisciplinary studies integrating microbiology, bioengineering, and nanoscience will be especially valued.To gather further insights into these emerging areas, we welcome original research, methods, and reviews addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:• Advanced therapeutics and delivery — stimuli-responsive (pH, redox, enzymatic) nanostructures that bypass endo-lysosomal sequestration, evade immune sensing, and maximize cytosolic delivery of antimicrobial small molecules, peptides, CRISPR machinery, or mRNA cargo.• Next-generation diagnostics and biosensing — high-sensitivity molecular toolkits, aptamer-based biosensors, nucleic-acid nanostructures, and digital nanodiagnostics for rapid, point-of-care detection of pathogens, biofilms, and host biomarkers.• Biomolecular interfacial engineering — strategies to mitigate or exploit the protein corona to maintain targeting accuracy and structural fidelity in biological fluids.• Scalable manufacturing — methodologies enabling high-yield, homogeneous, and reproducible production, folding, and purification of complex 3D nucleic-acid, polymeric, or hybrid nanostructures. Topic editors: Abhisek Dwivedy, Dr. Anam Ashraf, Saurabh Umrao Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/85363/current-trends-in-nanotechnology-for-microbiological-applications-bridging-engineering-bottlenecks-in-therapy-diagnostics-and-biosensing