Silver nanoparticles are recognized as effective antimicrobial
agents and have been implemented in various consumer products
including washing machines, refrigerators, clothing, medical
devices, and food packaging. Alongside the silver nanoparticles
benefits, their novel properties have raised concerns about
possible adverse effects on biological systems. To protect
consumer’s health and the environment, efficient monitoring of
silver nanoparticles needs to be established. Here, we present
the development of human metallothionein (MT) based surface
plasmon resonance (SPR) sensor for rapid detection of
nanosilver. Incorporation of human metallothionein 1A to the
sensor surface enables screening for potentially biologically
active silver nanoparticles at parts per billion sensitivity.
Other protein ligands were also tested for binding capacity of
the nanosilver and were found to be inferior to the
metallothionein. The biosensor has been characterized in terms
of selectivity and sensitivity towards different typ