The efficacy of nanosilver to supress certain disease causing pathogens has been well documented, thus nanosilver has been widely used in medicine for its antimicrobial and disinfecting properties, for example as coating in bandages and wound dressings. However, following published result in the journal Small, researchers from Partcat group have cautioned that more work is needed to understand how micro-organisms respond to the disinfecting properties of these nanosilver particles. In their study, it was revealed that overexposure to silver nanoparticles can cause other potentially harmful organisms to rapidly adapt and flourish. During the experiment to suppress targeted bacteria Escherichia Coli involving nanosilver, it was found that although nanosilver was effective in suppressing the growth of the E-Coli, its presence also iniated the unexpected emergence, adaptation and abnormally fast growth of another species (Bacillus sp.).

This finding is critical and important due to the recent exploitation of nanosilver's antimicrobial properties which gained momentum in massive production and marketing of nanosilver use in health/clinical settings. "Antimicrobial action of nanosilver is not universal, and... the widespread use of these products should take into consideration the potential for longer term adverse outcomes" says Dr Cindy Gunawan.

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The natural ability of Bacillus sp. to adapt to nanosilver cytotoxicity