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Emerging molecular technologies for plant health surveillance using point-of-care diagnostics based on miniaturised sensors
Foodborne illnesses caused by pathogenic bacteria pose a serious threat to human health. Early and rapid detection of foodborne pathogens is essential to prevent potential outbreaks. In the era of precision agriculture, the use of simple, automated and portable miniaturised devices is being explored as part of a transition towards precision diagnostics based on advanced molecular techniques that can be applied directly in the field. Indeed, compared with traditional techniques, miniaturised biosensors (e.g. microfluidic chips) offer high specificity, sensitivity, reproducibility, speed and cost-effectiveness in the detection of foodborne pathogens. Diagnostics of this kind could be particularly useful in reducing the significant losses in agricultural production caused by plant diseases, thereby enabling better management of crop diseases in agriculture-based economies. Indeed, particularly where resistant varieties are not available, the most promising alternative lies in the rapid and early detection of pathogens in the field, thus preventing the onset of disease. Furthermore, as this type of diagnostic test enables the detection of pathogens in asymptomatic plants, it would allow for better management of phytotherapeutic treatments. In conclusion, ‘POC’ diagnostic tests can rapidly provide farmers with the information they need on-site for immediate disease management, minimising crop losses, and can eliminate the logistical problems associated with transferring samples to specialised laboratories for analysis, whilst simultaneously reducing the costs of plant health surveillance.
Yadav A., Yadav K. (2025). Portable solutions for plant pathogen diagnostics: development, usage, and future potential. Front. Microbiol. 16: 1516723. https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/microbiology/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2025.1516723/full
Narware J. et al., (2025). Nanomaterial-based biosensors: a new frontier in plant pathogen detection and plant disease management. Front. Bioeng. Biotechnol. 13: 1570318. https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/bioengineering-and-biotechnology/articles/10.3389/fbioe.2025.1570318/full
