A new PurPest-supported article published in Chemosensors showcases the potential of Surface Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS) to detect ergothioneine, a key antioxidant in mushrooms, with high accuracy. Featuring contributions from Pavol Miškovský of SAFTRA Photonics, the research highlights SERS as a rapid, non-destructive method for in situ detection of bioactive compounds in...

Headquartered in Kosice, Slovakia, SAFTRA Photonics Ltd. is an award-winning high-tech SME specializing in advanced nanomaterials and optical sensor technologies. With a strong focus on applied research and innovation, it develops ultra-sensitive detection systems that transform complex scientific concepts into practical solutions for monitoring environmental and biological phenomena at the...

Founded in 2019 and with offices in Vilnius, Lithuania, and Cambridge, UK, Volatile AI is a pioneering SME working on AI-enhanced volatile organic compound (VOC) detection. With the mission to digitize the invisible world of molecules and smells by developing smart, portable sensing technologies, they bring lab-grade chemical analysis into real-world environments.

As a key technical partner in...

Airmotec AG, based in Bordeaux, France, is a developer and manufacturer of advanced analytical systems for volatile organic compound (VOC) analysis. As part of Chromatotec, an international leader with nearly 50 years of experience delivering turnkey gas and liquid analysis for industrial and academic applications solutions, Airmotec combines cutting-edge innovation with proven reliability...

At the International Meeting on Chemical Sensors (IMCS 2025) held at the Konzerthaus Freiburg, in Germany, from 22^nd to 26^th of June, Usman Yaqoob presented work from the University of Warwick on low-cost 3D-printed micro gas chromatography (GC) columns for fast VOC analysis. His talk highlighted a spiral-shaped micro-GC design capable of efficiently separating VOC, contributing to the...

PurPest was presented at the Annual Meeting of the European Network In CHemical Ecology (E-NICHE), held in Évora, Portugal, from 25–27 June 2025.

Andrea Ficke from NIBIO showcased two posters, highlighting the role of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the detection of plant pests and pathogens. One poster focused on VOCs emitted by rhododendron and larch trees infected by various...

We are excited to announce that PurPest will be showcased at IPM ESSEN 2026, the world's leading trade fair for horticulture, taking place in Essen, Germany. Join us on January 27, 2026, at the Innovation Center Horticulture Technology, where we will present our latest progress in smart, site-specific solutions for plant pest prevention.

Visitors will have the opportunity to learn...

On June 10, 2025, PurPest research was presented at the “Fachtagung Dialog Grün,” a key Swiss forum on sustainable plant protection organized by the Zurich Basel Plant Science Center under the theme Sustainable Plant Protection (Nachhaltiger Pflanzenschutz). The event took place at ETH Zürich. Two posters from the Université de Neuchâtel highlighted VOC based detection technologies developed...

As part of the 2025 PurPest project meeting, participants took part in a technical visit to a forested area in Tróia, Portugal, severely affected by pine wilt disease caused by the pinewood nematode (Bursaphelenchus xylophilus). This field visit offered researchers and stakeholders a first-hand look at the ecological impacts of the disease on maritime pine ecosystems.

Participants...