## 4 The Use of Nanotechnology for the Improvement of Endophytic Biocontrol Agents
The results of the study showed that the biogenic nanoparticles may enhance phytopathogen tolerance in plants as well as plant reactive oxygen species (ROS) homeostasis, leading to overall improvement in plant health. Accordingly, these are just a few studies representing the positive implications of implementing nanotechnology in order to improve biocontrol agents, against an array of phytopathogens, by not only controlling the phytopathogen's growth, but by efficiently inhibiting its growth within organisms. Thus, most of these studies suggest using plant-derived metalloids/metallic oxide nanoparticles as fungicides in order to inhibiting phytopathogens. Integrating Multi-Omics Approaches for Studying Endophytic Research and Improving Biocontrol Activity  
Plants and endophytes coexist in nature, and their genes and proteins involved in metabolic pathways can influence plant development and health, either directly or indirectly [40]. In this section, we will review work focused on biocontrol research and evaluating the use of multi-omic approaches with an emphasis on genomics and proteomics. Previously, it was considered that plants or their associated endophytes were responsible for the production of certain secondary metabolites that had a beneficial effect on the growth or health of a plant. However, advances in genomic technology have allowed for the discovery of various homologous gene clusters present in both plants and their endophytes [41]. These findings highlight the ability of endophytes to directly influence plant metabolic processes by producing the gene products recognized by the plant. [PERSON]  
Figure 3: Schematic diagram of the mode of action of Ag-NPs against _Candidia albicans_. Diagram depicts when (**A–D**) and what effects (1–10) Ag-NPs have on _C. albicans_. (**A**) 12 h after exposure of _C. albicans_ cell to Ag-NPs, the Ag-NPs comes into contact with the cell wall of the fungal cell (1). The cell wall thickens (2), and this instigates the compression of the cytoplasmic membrane (3). (**B**) 24 h post exposure, thickening of the cell wall further is exhibited (4) and causes the cytoplasmic materials to compress to the middle of the fungal cell (5). (**C**) 36 h after exposure to Ag-NPs, the cytoplasmic membrane separates (6) and the cell wall thickens even further with degradation of the cell wall due to pore formation (7). The degradation of the cell wall leads to the cell collapsing and hence the release of cellular content (8). Finally, at 48 h (**D**), the 31 nm region exists between the outer membrane (9), and finally the broken cell wall and cytoplasmic membrane result in severe damage to the _C. albicans_ cell, leading to cell death (10). and [PERSON] (2008) [42] hypothesized that homologous gene clusters present in plants and microorganisms may be cross activated by stress induced molecules, under certain conditions. A study by [PERSON], [PERSON] and [PERSON] (2022) [43] observed through gene analysis that endophytes associated with _Gymnosporia heterophyllla_ were responsible for the formation of maytansine through the expression of their AHBA synthase and halogenase genes. Alongside the expression of these genes and activation of the maytansine biosynthesis, the authors also observed an increase in the expression of the friedeline synthase genes in the plant. By using gene analysis, researchers can evaluate the roles genes play in the endophyte-crop interaction, which has the potential to improve biotic stress tolerance/biocontrol agents and improve growth when augmented. However, it must be noted that it is not only genes that are homologous between plants and their endophytes that have shown importance. A study by [PERSON] et al. (2021) [44] observed through genome analysis and LTR-RT elements analysis that the MVK genes responsible for the mevalonate kinase enzyme in plants could have alternative non-homologous copies of this gene within the endophytes when in long-term symbiosis.