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Navigating the Nanoverse: how emerging nanomaterials are transforming bioscience and society.
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Researchers reviewed advances across diverse nanomaterial classes — including carbon-based particles, two-dimensional membranes, and microfluidic drug delivery platforms — using micro- and nanoplastics as a case study to argue that realizing the potential of the emerging 'nanospace' requires harmonized characterization protocols, realistic exposure assessments, and sustainable design principles to govern the transition from lab to society.
The rapid expansion of nanomaterials research has given rise to the concept of the , a multidisciplinary shared domain where increasingly sophisticated nanoscale architectures address societal challenges while introducing new safety and sustainability questions. This review writes up recent advances across diverse nanomaterial classes, including carbon-based nanomaterials, two-dimensional membranes, chromopeptide nanoarchitectures, microfluidic drug delivery platforms, extracellular vesicles, and antimicrobial nanomaterials. We trace the evolution of nanomaterial definitions, noting the widening scope to include particles up to micrometer size, and highlight how unique physicochemical properties govern biological uptake, intracellular fate, and environmental behavior. Using micro- and nanoplastics as a case study, we emphasize the need for realistic exposure assessments, biomolecular corona characterization, and ethical models for toxicological analysis such as . By integrating material science, biotechnology, toxicology, and environmental science, we map the as both a technological frontier and a regulatory challenge. We believe that realizing its full potential requires harmonized characterization protocols, scalable manufacturing, and sustainable design principles to ensure that transformative nanomaterial applications advance responsibly from the labs to society.
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Advancements in environmental nanoplastics research
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This review synthesises advances in environmental nanoplastics research, discussing distinctions between nanoplastics and microplastics in physicochemical properties, limitations in current analytical methods for environmental samples, and gaps between laboratory exposure studies and real-world concentrations. The authors highlight emerging evidence of nanoplastics in human organs and excretions and argue that methodological breakthroughs will usher in a 'nano era' of plastic pollution research.
Leveraging nanoparticle environmental health and safety research in the study of micro- and nano-plastics
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Researchers argue that two decades of research on the environmental health and safety of engineered nanomaterials provides a strong foundation for studying micro- and nanoplastics. They outline how lessons from nano-safety research apply to understanding plastic particle toxicity, bioaccumulation, trophic transfer, and environmental behavior. The study emphasizes that existing tools and methodologies from nanotoxicology can accelerate progress in assessing the risks of particulate plastic pollution.
A critical viewpoint on current issues, limitations, and future research needs on micro- and nanoplastic studies: From the detection to the toxicological assessment.
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This critical review examines the current methods for detecting and characterizing micro- and nanoplastics in various environmental samples, as well as reported toxic effects from in vivo and in vitro studies. The authors found that while substantial effort has been made to understand microplastic behavior, the scientific community is still far from a complete understanding of how these particles behave in biological systems. The review calls for improved standardized protocols and more studies focused on uptake kinetics, accumulation, and biodistribution.
Nanoplastics. A Systematic Risk Analysis for Human Health, Ecosystems, and the Environment
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Researchers conducted a comprehensive interdisciplinary risk analysis of micro- and nanoplastics, concluding that once polymers fragment to the nano-micro scale their electrokinetic surface properties enable them to cross biological barriers, disrupt cellular regulation, and contribute to oxidative stress, inflammatory responses, and potential cardiovascular, neurological, and reproductive harm, warranting treatment as a distinct class of anthropogenic hazard.
Nanoplastics as a return to the prebiotic dimensional regime: A dimensional perspective on interactions with biological membranes
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This paper proposed a dimensional framework arguing that nanoplastics' relevance lies in their physical size — which places them in the same regime as prebiotic membrane structures — rather than chemical toxicity. The author argues this perspective reframes how nanoplastic health risks should be assessed and studied.
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