Nanoparticles have wide applications in various fields due to their small size. Titanium dioxide nanoparticles are bright with high refractive index (n = 2.4) which makes them suitable for industry dealing with toothpaste, pharmaceuticals, coatings, papers, inks, plastics, food products, cosmetics and textile. Three crystalline phases of titanium dioxide, are anatase (tetragonal), rutile (tetragonal), and brookite (orthorhombic) in which brookite has no commercial value. Due to their self cleaning and antifogging property, they are used in the preparation of cloths, windows, tiles and anti-fogging car mirrors. Titanium dioxide nanoparticles also serve as environment sanitizing agent. Sol-gel route, flame hydrolysis, co-precipitation, impregnation and chemical vapor deposition like techniques are used for the synthesis of TiO 2 nanoparticles. Biosynthesis of titanium dioxide nanoparticles has gained wide interest among researchers due to its cost effective, eco-friendly and reproducible approach. The sol-gel route remediation of the titanium dioxide from the environment is an important step and it can be achieved by using physical processes like sedimentation and filtration. The biosynthesis of titanium dioxide nanoparticles can be used in comparison to chemical synthesis. The titanium dioxide nanoparticles have wide applications, viz., reducing toxicity of dyes and pharmaceutical drugs; waste water treatment; reproduction of silkworm; space applications; food industries; etc., and so have immense industrial importance. The applications of nanoparticles synthesized by biological approach will be advantageous for the industries; environment and agriculture.

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Background: Lactic acid bacteria are regarded the most important bacteria concerning food fermentation, pharmaceutical and special dietary applications. Strains have been isolated from environments rich in available carbohydrate substrates, such as food and feed, but also in human and animal cavities and in sewage and plant material. Besides lactic acid, other side products include acetate, ethanol, CO2, formate and succinate. The most important advantage of Lactic acid bacteria making them suitable for the use in food biotechnology, is that they are generally recognized as safe (GRAS). Studies on Lactic acid bacteria isolated from aerial parts of plants are scarce. Bacteria that colonize plant roots and promote plant growth are referred to as plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria. Several substances produced by antagonistic rhizobacteria have been related to pathogen control and indirect promotion of growth in many plants. The present work explores the potential use of Lactic acid bacteria in promotion of plant growth. Methods: Three isolates were obtained from aerial parts of pomegranate plant and confirmed by 16S rRNA sequencing to belong to Leuconostoc sp. The isolates were checked for plant growth promoting traits viz. antifungal activity, production of plant growth hormones, enzymes and 1-amino cyclopropane carboxylate deaminase activity. Result: As LAB showed plant growth promoting traits, they can be suitably used for plant growth promotion.

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Halophiles are extremophilic salt-loving microorganisms that can survive in an extremely high level of salinity (10-30% NaCl). They belong to all three groups (i.e., bacteria, archaea, and eukaryotes). Halophiles tolerate high salt concentration due to unique cellular adaptations like salt-in strategy, compatible solute strategy, and enzyme adaptations. The chapter describes the classification, physiology, ecology, and mechanisms of adaptations and biotechnological applications of halophiles.

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An alternative technique to perform drop collapse assay for rapid detection of surface active agents produced by microorganisms is described. The method is rapid, simple, economical and sensitive as it can detect the biosurfactant even in low concentrations. The limit of detection for Triton-X 100:0.01 mM (6.25 µg mL -1 ), CTAB: 0.1 mM (36.44 µg mL -1 ) and SDS: 0.001 mM (0.288 µg mL -1 ) using lotus leaf assay. This method uses Lotus (Nelumbo nucifera) leaf as the surface for performing drop collapse studies and can be useful as an initial step for screening microorganisms for biosurfactant production and for detection of surfactant activity. The underline principle was that the leaves of lotus are super hydrophobic, i.e. drops of water roll off free of residue. The lotus leaf has surface roughness and posses water-repellent wax crystals which attribute towards super hydrophobic properties. Hence, if surface active agent capable of reducing surface and interfacial tension acting as wetting agent is produced by the Microbispora sp. V2 even in low concentrations, the drop collapse will occur on lotus leaf and wetting of leaf can occur. Lotus leaf can be a better alternative to microtitre plates as due to its rapidity, sensitivity, simplicity, ease, cost effectiveness and reproducibility. The simplicity of this technique makes it suitable in rapid screening of large number of surfactant producing microbes without the need of expensive high throughput systems.

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