  In the last decades the exploitation of silver nanoparticles in novel
antibacterial and detection devices have risen to prominence for their
well-known specific interaction with bacteria. The vast majority of studies
focus on the investigation over the mechanism of action underpinning bacterial
eradication, while little efforts have been devoted to the modification of
silver optical properties upon interaction with bacteria. Specifically, given
the characteristic localized surface plasmon resonance of silver
nanostructures, which is sensitive to changes in the charge carrier density or
in the dielectric environment, these systems can offer a handle in the
detection of bacteria pathogens. In this review, we present the state of art of
the research activity on the interaction of silver nanoparticles with bacteria,
with emphasis on the modification of their optical properties. This may indeed
lead to easy color reading of bacterial tests and pave the way to the
development of nanotechnology silver based bacterial detection.
