Application of nanozymes in problematic biofilm control: progress, challenges and prospects

Abstract

Current microbial control strategies face challenges in keeping up with the escalation of microbial problems due to the presence of biofilms. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop effective and robust strategies to control problematic biofilms in water treatment and reuse systems. Nanozymes, which have intrinsic biocatalytic activity and broad antibacterial spectra, hold promise for controlling resilient biofilms. This review summarizes the milestones of nanozyme studies and their applications as antibiofilm agents. The mechanisms behind the antibacterial, quorum quenching, and depolymerizing properties of nanozymes with different enzyme activities are discussed. Notably, the surface and composition of nanozymes are crucial for their efficacy in biofilm control; thus, rationally designed nanozymes can increase their effectiveness. Additionally, the challenges of nanozymes as antibiofilm agents in realistic scenarios are investigated along with proposed strategies to overcome these challenges. Prospects of nanozyme-based biofilm control, such as machine learning-assisted nanozyme design, are also discussed. Overall, this review highlights the potential of nanozymes as antibiofilm agents and provides insights into the future design of nanozymes for biofilm control.