Mushrooms into Gold Nanoparticles

Context (IE): Researchers in Goa have successfully synthesized gold nanoparticles from mushrooms of the Termitomyces species, locally known as ‘roen olmi’.
This discovery pioneers the use of an eco-friendly species for mass production of gold nanoparticles.

Termitomyces

Termitomyces is a fungi belonging to the family Lyophyllaceae.
It is the largest edible mushroom in the world, and its cap reaches 1 metre (3.28 ft) in diameter.
These mushrooms are often associated with termite nests or mounds, where they grow in symbiotic relationships with termites.
They are commonly found in regions with warm and humid climates, such as tropical forests and savannas.
They contain bioactive compounds with antioxidant, antimicrobial, and immunomodulatory properties, which may have health benefits.

Gold nanoparticles are tiny particles of gold that range in diameter from 1 to 100 nanometers.

Optical Properties: Gold nanoparticles display vibrant colours ranging from red to purple, depending on their size and shape. This phenomenon is known as surface plasmon resonance.
Electronic Properties: They possess excellent electrical conductivity, making them useful in electronics and sensor applications.
Chemical Properties: Gold nanoparticles have a high surface area, which enhances their reactivity and makes them suitable for catalysis and surface chemistry.

Electronics: Nanoscale gold nanoparticles are being used to connect resistors, conductors, and other elements of an electronic chip.
Photodynamic Therapy: Near-IR absorbing gold nanoparticles produce heat when excited by light at wavelengths from 700 to 800 nm. This enables these nanoparticles to eradicate targeted tumors.
Therapeutic Agent Delivery: Therapeutic agents can be coated onto the surface of gold nanoparticles due to their large surface area-to-volume ratio.
Sensors: Surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy, exploit gold nanoparticles as substrates to enable the measurement of vibrational energies of chemical bonds.
Probes: Gold nanoparticles also scatter light and can produce an array of interesting colors under dark-field microscopy. The scattered colors are currently used for biological imaging applications.
Diagnostics: Gold nanoparticles are also used to detect biomarkers in the diagnosis of heart diseases, cancers, and infectious agents.

Mushrooms are types of fungi, not plants.
They come in various shapes, sizes, and colours.
Mushrooms are heterotrophs. This means they rely on food sources in their surroundings for nutrients, such as animal waste, plant matter, and organic carbon.
They can be grouped into edible and non-edible types.
1. Edible mushrooms include common varieties like button, shiitake, and oyster mushrooms.
2. Non-edible mushrooms may be poisonous or have other harmful effects.

Edible mushrooms are used in cooking and provide nutrition and flavour to dishes.
Certain mushrooms have medicinal properties and are used in traditional medicine for treating various ailments.
They are also used in biotechnology for producing enzymes and other useful substances.
Mushrooms play vital roles in nature, helping to decompose organic matter and recycle nutrients in ecosystems.

Fungi are eukaryotic organisms that include moulds, yeasts, and mushrooms within the kingdom of Fungi.
They come in both unicellular and multicellular forms.
Yeasts represent the simplest unicellular type, while moulds like Rhizopus, Mucor, and Penicillium are examples of multicellular fungi.