Ratiometric Mycotoxin Detection in Living Plants With Dual-Emissive Nanosensors

Area of Science:

• Agricultural Science
• Nanotechnology
• Plant Pathology

Background:

• Early detection of crop fungal infections is crucial for yield preservation.
• Current methods often involve destructive assays, limiting in situ monitoring.
• Fusarium species produce fusaric acid (FA), a key biomarker for early infection.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a non-destructive, ratiometric optical nanosensor for selective FA detection in living plants.
• To enable early diagnosis of Fusarium infections before visible symptoms appear.
• To establish an integrated platform for non-destructive plant diagnostics.

Main Methods:

• Development of a dual-emissive nanosensor (CD@ZIF-8) using carbon dots within a zeolitic imidazolate framework.
• Tuning the balance of carbon dots for distinct blue and red fluorescent signals for self-referencing.
• Integration of the nanosensor into microneedle patches for minimally invasive plant interstitial fluid sampling.

Main Results:

• The CD@ZIF-8 nanosensor demonstrated selective quenching of blue emission upon FA exposure, while red emission remained stable, enabling ratiometric sensing.
• FA detection in Fusarium-infected crops was achieved before the onset of visible symptoms.
• The platform successfully discriminated between fungal infections and abiotic/bacterial stresses.

Conclusions:

• An integrated, self-referenced nanosensing platform for non-destructive plant diagnostics was established.
• This technology facilitates early disease surveillance in agriculture.
• The findings support the development of precision and climate-resilient agriculture.