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

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

Manuscript Submission Information

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