Light-Enhanced Molecular Diagnostics for Infectious Diseases: Optical Innovations from Nanoscale Sensing to Clinical Translation

Molecular diagnostics have become central to infectious disease detection, enabling accurate identification of pathogens and their resistance profiles at molecular levels. Conventional methods, while powerful, can face limitations such as insufficient signal strength, slow processing times, and challenges in detecting low-abundance targets in complex biological samples. Light-enhanced molecular diagnostic technologies—leveraging plasmonics, photonics, and nano optical effects—have emerged as highly promising solutions to overcome these barriers. Recent studies have demonstrated significant advances in fluorescence, chemiluminescence, surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS), and photoacoustic applications for sensitive pathogen detection. These approaches provide enhanced analytical performance but require further research to improve reproducibility, simplify device integration, and validate performance in real-world clinical environments. Current gaps persist in translating lab-based optical platforms into point-of-care systems for infectious disease detection, particularly within resource-limited or decentralized healthcare settings.This Research Topic aims to advance the understanding and clinical implementation of light-enhanced molecular diagnostic strategies specifically related to infection biology. The goal is to strengthen the theoretical and technical foundation of optical signal amplification and to foster translation from optical detection mechanisms to functional clinical diagnostics. We encourage studies addressing key questions such as how light–matter interactions at the nano- and microscale can amplify biological recognition events, how optical sensing technologies can be integrated into compact diagnostic platforms, and how such systems can improve pathogen detection, antimicrobial resistance monitoring, and outbreak response.To gather further insights into light-based molecular diagnostic innovations within cellular and infection microbiology, we welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:o Light-induced signal amplification for detecting pathogens, virulence factors, or antimicrobial resistance geneso Fluorescence, chemiluminescence, and SERS-based platforms for microbial sensingo Plasmonic and nano-photonic materials for enhanced infection diagnosticso Photothermal and photoacoustic detection strategies for molecular and cellular-level analysiso Integration of optical sensing with microfluidic or lab-on-chip systems for pathogen identificationo Cross-disciplinary collaborations bridging optics, nanotechnology, chemistry, and microbiologyo Translational studies validating optical diagnostic devices in clinical or field settings Topic editors: KIRAN SHRESTHA, Sajjan Parajuli Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/82447/light-enhanced-molecular-diagnostics-for-infectious-diseases-optical-innovations-from-nanoscale-sensing-to-clinical-translation