title: Plant pathogen nanodiagnostic techniques: forthcoming changes?
abstract: Plant diseases are among the major factors limiting crop productivity. A first step towards managing a plant disease under greenhouse and field conditions is to correctly identify the pathogen. Current technologies, such as quantitative polymerase chain reaction (Q-PCR), require a relatively large amount of target tissue and rely on multiple assays to accurately identify distinct plant pathogens. The common disadvantage of the traditional diagnostic methods is that they are time consuming and lack high sensitivity. Consequently, developing low-cost methods to improve the accuracy and rapidity of plant pathogens diagnosis is needed. Nanotechnology, nano particles and quantum dots (QDs) have emerged as essential tools for fast detection of a particular biological marker with extreme accuracy. Biosensor, QDs, nanostructured platforms, nanoimaging and nanopore DNA sequencing tools have the potential to raise sensitivity, specificity and speed of the pathogen detection, facilitate high-throughput analysis, and to be used for high-quality monitoring and crop protection. Furthermore, nanodiagnostic kit equipment can easily and quickly detect potential serious plant pathogens, allowing experts to help farmers in the prevention of epidemic diseases. The current review deals with the application of nanotechnology for quicker, more cost-effective and precise diagnostic procedures of plant diseases. Such an accurate technology may help to design a proper integrated disease management system which may modify crop environments to adversely affect crop pathogens.
authors.affiliation: King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST) , Riyadh , Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Mohammad A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Khiyami
authors.affiliation: King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST) , Riyadh , Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Hassan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Almoammar
authors.affiliation: Department of Agricultural Botany, Faculty of Agriculture, Suez Canal University , Ismailia , Egypt.
authors.forename: Yasser M
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Awad
authors.affiliation: Biology Department, Science and Humanities College, Shaqra University , Alquwayiyah , Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Mousa A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Alghuthaymi
authors.affiliation: Plant Pathology Research Institute, Agricultural Research Center (ARC), Giza, Egypt; Unit of Excellence in Nano-Molecular Plant Pathology Research (ARC), Giza, Egypt.
authors.forename: Kamel A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Abd-Elsalam
keywords: diagnosis; nanobarcodes; nanosensory; quantum dots