Emerging Technologies for Pathogen Detection in Agriculture, Medicine, and Food Safety

A special issue of Microorganisms (ISSN 2076-2607).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2026 | Viewed by 783

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor Assistant
Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
Interests: antibiotic therapy; antimicrobial resistance; combination therapy; medical diagnostics

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Pathogens in agriculture, medicine, and food systems continue to pose significant risks to public health and global sustainability. Rapid, accurate, and scalable detection technologies are essential for preventing outbreaks, managing antimicrobial resistance, and ensuring the safety of food and agricultural products. In recent years, advances in molecular biology, microfluidics, biosensors, and data analytics have transformed pathogen detection, enhancing sensitivity, specificity, and time-to-result while enabling portable, field-deployable diagnostic solutions. These developments support global One Health initiatives by connecting environmental, agricultural, and clinical surveillance systems.

This Special Issue, entitled "Emerging Technologies for Pathogen Detection in Agriculture, Medicine, and Food Safety," aims to present recent advances and innovations in the development, optimization, and application of novel diagnostic technologies for pathogen detection across agricultural, medical, and food safety settings. We welcome original research articles, communications, and comprehensive reviews that bridge engineering innovation with biological insight and real-world implementation. Some of its focal points include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Molecular diagnostics based on isothermal amplification or CRISPR systems;
  • Biosensors and portable point-of-care devices;
  • Microfluidic and lab-on-a-chip systems for rapid pathogen detection;
  • Digital PCR and next-generation sequencing for pathogen profiling;
  • Artificial intelligence and machine learning in diagnostic development;
  • Antimicrobial resistance monitoring and surveillance technologies;
  • Validation, standardization, and translation of detection platforms to field or clinical use.

Reviews, original research, and communications are welcome. 

Prof. Dr. Adriana Calderaro
Guest Editor

Dr. Fangchi Shao
Guest Editor Assistant

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Keywords

  • pathogen detection
  • biosensors
  • microfluidics
  • molecular diagnostics
  • antimicrobial resistance
  • point-of-care testing
  • food safety
  • artificial Intelligence

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

10 pages, 2816 KB  
Communication
Discrimination of Bacteria Belonging to Bacillus cereus Group at Species Level by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy
by Viviana Manzulli, Miriam Cordovana, Donatella Farina, Marta Caruso, Rosa Fraccalvieri, Luigina Serrecchia, Lorenzo Pace, Valeria Rondinone, Angelica Bianco, Loredana Capozzi, Chiara Ortello, Dora Cipolletta and Domenico Galante
Microorganisms 2026, 14(2), 434; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms14020434 - 12 Feb 2026
Viewed by 468
Abstract
The Bacillus cereus group (B. cereus group) comprises several closely related species that share high genetic similarity but display markedly different phenotypic traits and pathogenic potential. Reliable and rapid discrimination at the species level remains challenging using conventional microbiological and molecular methods. [...] Read more.
The Bacillus cereus group (B. cereus group) comprises several closely related species that share high genetic similarity but display markedly different phenotypic traits and pathogenic potential. Reliable and rapid discrimination at the species level remains challenging using conventional microbiological and molecular methods. In this study, Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy was evaluated as a rapid phenotypic approach to differentiate seven members of the Bacillus cereus sensu stricto (B. cereus s.s.), Bacillus anthracis (B. anthracis), Bacillus thuringiensis (B. thuringensis), Bacillus mycoides (B. mycoides), Bacillus toyonensis (B. toyonensis), Bacillus wiedmannii (B. wiedmannii) and Bacillus weihenstephanensis (B. weihenstephanensis). A collection of 190 isolates previously characterized by whole genome sequencing was analyzed using the IR Biotyper system. Spectral data were processed through multivariate analyses, including principal component analysis and linear discriminant analysis, following a hierarchical classification strategy. FTIR spectroscopy enabled clear discrimination of B. anthracis from other members of the B. cereus group and allowed the separation of several additional species based on distinct spectral signatures. A further discrimination step permitted differentiation between B. cereus sensu stricto and B. thuringiensis, with minimal overlap. These findings demonstrate that FTIR spectroscopy represents a promising and rapid tool for species-level discrimination within the B. cereus group. While the results should be considered preliminary for species represented by a limited number of isolates, this approach shows strong potential as a complementary method to molecular techniques in routine diagnostics in food safety and veterinary microbiology. Full article
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