The capacity of nanosilver (Ag nanoparticles) to destroy infectious micro-organisms makes it one of the most powerful antimicrobial agents, an attractive feature against "super-bugs" resistant to antibiotics. Furthermore, its plasmonic properties facilitate its employment as a biosensor or bioimaging agent. Here, the interaction of nanosilver with biological systems including bacteria and mammalian cells is reviewed. The toxicity of nanosilver is discussed focusing on Ag+ ion release in liquid solutions. Biomedical applications of nanosilver are also presented capitalizing on its antimicrobial and plasmonic properties and summarizing its advantages, limitations and challenges. Though a lot needs to be learned about the toxicity of nanosilver, enough is known to safely use it in a spectrum of applications with minimal impact to the environment and human health.

中文翻译：

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工程纳米银作为抗菌、生物传感器和生物成像材料。

纳米银（Ag 纳米粒子）破坏传染性微生物的能力使其成为最强大的抗菌剂之一，这是对抗对抗生素具有抗性的“超级细菌”的一个有吸引力的特性。此外，其等离子体特性有利于其用作生物传感器或生物成像剂。在此，综述了纳米银与包括细菌和哺乳动物细胞在内的生物系统的相互作用。讨论了纳米银的毒性，重点是在液体溶液中的 Ag+ 离子释放。还介绍了纳米银的生物医学应用，利用其抗菌和等离子体特性，并总结了其优势、局限性和挑战。虽然需要了解很多关于纳米银的毒性，