To prevent the spread of diseases in humans, animals or plants, determining whether potential vectors are infected is crucial. For example, early detection of the citrus disease Huanglongbing, which has been a scourge on the citrus industries around the world, is a critical need. This vector-borne disease is transmitted by Diaphorina citri , the Asian citrus psyllid, which carries the putative bacterial phytopathogen, Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus ( C Las). In this investigation, we introduced Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) to reveal key biochemical differences between C Las-infected and non-infected psyllids. The emission spectra captured from laser ablation of C Las-infected and healthy psyllids were processed through the principal component analysis (PCA) method and compared. Thirteen peaks from seven different elements were detected in D . citri . The t -test showed that C Las-infected D . citri were deficients in zinc, iron, copper, magnesium, calcium, and nitrogen. The PCA showed that LIBS can successfully differentiate between C Las-infected and healthy D . citri by comparing their elemental profile. In this work, we demonstrated a method that allows for a fast and precise compositional microanalysis of an insect vector which can contribute to the early detection of citrus huanglongbing

This work shows the potential of a very compact, portable Laser Induced-Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) system that includes low cost and compact Nd:YAG laser, intended for use in fieldwork identification of bacteria. This device allows for the generation of 2-4 pulses per laser shot, with a maximum energy of 120 mJ per pulse. Each pulse has a duration of 60 ns, and the total duration of the train of pulses is 180 µs. The device dimensions including the power supply are 50 × 20 × 140 cm, which indicates that can be utilized as a portable LIBS system in field conditions. The spectra captured on two different bacteria shows the capability of identification.

The TL response of KBr:Eu (0.1% Eu) and KBr:Eu,Mg (0.1% Eu, 0.01 and 0.001% Mg) to 254 nm UV light has been studied. Crystals were subjected to different thermal treatments. The Mg concentration and the thermal treatment that produced the best glow curve reproducibility and sensitivity increase were identified. The sensitivity to UV radiation increased by about three times after the optimum thermal treatment. The addition of Mg (0.001%) was responsible for improvements in the reproducibility of the glow curve characteristics for different samples. The glow curves showed two high-temperature peaks above , similar to those observed after exposure to rays, and the TL response was linear for fluences between 15 and .

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