Biological nanopore technology: developments and implications for the agricultural sciences

Background Nanopore technology has been extensively developed over the past couple decades, primarily for DNA sequencing, but has more recently expanded into molecular sensing applications, including clinical diagnostics. Owing to its rapid, real-time analysis, portability, minimal sample preparation requirements, target specificity, and multiplexing potential, nanopore sensing has attracted substantial attention across the life sciences. However, its applications and broader implications for agricultural sciences remain underexplored. Despite its promise, nanopore technology faces limitations such as constrained throughput, high operational costs, and sensitivity challenges that must be addressed through ongoing technological and methodological advances. Scope and approach In this review, we summarize the major classes of biological nanopore sensing technologies and highlight recent advances in their development and application. We critically evaluate current and emerging applications of nanopore technologies across agricultural sectors, such as pathogen detection and subtyping, antimicrobial resistance profiling, plant health monitoring, and surveillance of chemical contaminants in food and environmental matrices. Moreover, we examine technical bottlenecks, compare nanopore methods with conventional analytical tools, and outline future research and implementation pathways needed to integrate nanopore sensing into agricultural research and practice. Key findings and conclusions Nanopore platforms enable sensitive, rapid, portable and multiplexed detection of diverse biological and chemical targets relevant to agricultural systems. This supports more informative analysis than many conventional methods. The integration of this technology into agricultural area offers a promising way to enhance surveillance, improve food and crop safety, and accelerate progress toward more resilient and sustainable agricultural practices.