Scattering-based detection of fungal spores on a photonic integrated platform: an ASCA-assisted proof-of-concept study
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Airborne fungal pathogens, such as Penicillium expansum, pose a severe threat to post-harvest crop preservation and food safety, demanding rapid and reliable detection methods. This study presents a photonic integrated sensing platform, based on Ge-Se-Te RIB optical waveguides, for the real-time monitoring of fungal spores in the short-wave infrared (SWIR) range. To validate the performance of the sensor over a comprehensive 45-day experimental campaign, Finite Element Method (FEM) simulations were combined with advanced chemometric analysis. FEM modeling confirmed the evanescent field interaction with micrometer-sized spores on the waveguide surface. To extract the true biological signal from system drifts and environmental noise, ANOVA-Simultaneous Component Analysis (ASCA) was applied to the multidimensional spectral data. ASCA successfully isolated and quantified the specific variance related to spore deposition, even though it accounted for only 0.2% of the global variance. These results highlight the potential of combining chalcogenide waveguide technologies with ASCA-driven analytics for robust, label-free, and automated bio-sensing applications.
DOI: 10.1051/jeos/2026070
Language: English
Subfield: Biophysics
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $1,921
OpenAlex ID: W7222408275