Antifungal Nanoparticles in Microbial Biotechnology: Multisector Mechanisms, Applications, and Future Frontiers

Fungal pathogens threaten global food security, ecosystem stability, and human health, while the overuse of conventional fungicides accelerates resistance and disrupts beneficial microbiota. Nanotechnology offers a powerful new paradigm for fungal control, but its greatest potential lies at the interface with microbial biotechnology. Here, we critically review advances in antifungal nanoparticles (NPs) with a focus on their integration into microbiome‐aware and microbe‐assisted systems. We discuss biogenic NP synthesis by bacteria, fungi, and yeast; synergistic nanobiofungicides that combine NPs with biocontrol agents such as Trichoderma and Bacillus ; and NP‐enabled strategies that selectively suppress pathogens while preserving beneficial taxa. Mechanistic insights include NP‐mediated membrane disruption, reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, ion release, and biofilm inhibition, with special attention to how these processes modulate plant‐microbe interactions in the rhizosphere. Translational applications span pre‐ and postharvest agriculture, seed treatments, microbial inoculant stabilization, and smart delivery systems for agrochemicals. We also examine the ecological implications of NP deployment, highlighting safe‐by‐design (SbD) strategies, biodegradability, and microbiome resilience as key design criteria. Finally, we outline a future roadmap where nanotechnology converges with synthetic biology, microbial engineering, and AI‐guided design to enable precision antifungal systems that are adaptive, ecologically compatible, and scalable. Together, these insights position antifungal nanotechnology as a next‐generation tool in microbial biotechnology, with the potential to reshape crop protection, soil health management, and sustainable fungal control.