Development of advanced fluorescence measurement techniques for the qualification of algae and plants

Research keywords: · chlorophyll fluorescence · algae · optics · fluorescence lifetimes

Horizon Europe keywords: · Clean and healthy air, water and soil · Safe and sustainable agriculture and food systems

Institute of Physics Department of Atomic Physics

Dr. Attila Barócsi

Associate Professor

PhD

H-1111 Budapest, Műegyetem rkp. 3.

+3614631374

barocsi.attila@ttk.bme.hu

Introduction of the Research Group

The applied fluorescence research group belongs to the Optical Laboratory of the Department of Atomic Physics. The team consists of 3-4 lecturers-researchers, and a couple of PhD and undergraduate students. We have a decades-long tradition in the development of portable fluorimeters for plant research for an early detection of plant physiological stress. Our activity is focused on the engineering part, and we are highly motivated in the utilization of state-of-the-art optical and electrical components. In the last years, we expanded our activities towards water quality monitoring. We developed bulky as well as capillary setups for this purpose. Beside the self-developed mobile instruments, we have time-correlated single photon counting setup to measure fluorescence lifetimes in nanosecond and less time range and we use it plant biological research in a cooperation with plant biologist. Furthermore, we are always open to investigate the fluorescence properties of other samples (eg semiconductors, dyes) or to develop optical spectroscopic methodologies. Prototypes of our unique instruments are always available at our laboratory, which give us the opportunity to test new scientific challenges and give us a starting point for new joint research projects.

Watch our 3-minute introductory video:

Achievements Publications Patents Journals Infrastructure Projects Industry relations Conferences

Achievements

-Development of compact, portable Chlorophyll FluoroMeter instrument.for the estimation of vitality of plant leaves
-Development of modular, reconfigurable FluoroMeter Modul instruments for the measurement of blue-green fluorescence and/or chlorophyll fluorescence of leaves or algae
-Development of Intelligent, wireless FluoroSensor for greenhouse applications
-Automatic, plate based algae measurement device
-TCSPC system capable to measure nanosecond or sub-nanosecond fluorescence lifetimes of liquid as well as solid samples

Publications

Gémes, Borbála ; Takács, Eszter ; Gádoros, Patrik ; Barócsi, Attila ; Kocsányi, László ; Lenk, Sándor ; Csákányi, Attila ; Kautny, Szabolcs ; Domján, László ; Szarvas, Gábor et al.
Development of an Immunofluorescence Assay Module for Determination of the Mycotoxin Zearalenone in Water TOXINS 13 : 3 Paper: 182 , 17 p. (2021) https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6651/13/3/182

Lenk, S. ; Dieleman, JA ; Lefebvre, V. ; Heuvelink, E. ; Self, JJ ; Palloix, A. ; Van Eeuwijk, FA ; Barocsi, A. Phenotyping with fast fluorescence sensors approximates yield component measurements in pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) PHOTOSYNTHETICA 58 : SI pp. 622-637. , 16 p. (2020) https://ps.ueb.cas.cz/artkey/phs-202002-0043_special-issue-in-honor-of-prof-reto-j-strasser-8211-phenotyping-with-fast-fluorescence-sensors -approximat.php

Solti, Ádám ; Lenk, Sándor ; Mihailova, Gergana ; Mayer, Péter ; Barócsi, Attila ; Georgieva, Katya. Effects of habitat light conditions on the excitation quenching pathways in desiccating Haberlea rhodopensis leaves: an Intelligent FluoroSensor study JOURNAL OF PHOTOCHEMISTRY AND PHOTOBIOLOGY B-BIOLOGY 130 pp. 217-225. , 9 p.m. (2014) https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1011134413002601?via%3Dihub

Chaerle, L ; Lenk, S ; Leinonen, I ; Jones, HG ; Van, Der Straeten D ; Buschmann, C Multi-sensor plant imaging: Towards the development of a stress-catalogue BIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNAL 4 : 8 pp. 1152-1167. , 16 p. (2009) https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/biot.200800242

Barócsi, A ; Csintalan, Zs ; Kocsanyi, L ; Dushenkov, S ; Kuperberg, JM ; Kucharski, R ; Richter, P: Optimizing Phytoremediation of Heavy Metal Contaminated Soil by Exploiting Plants' Stress Adaptation INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PHYTOREMEDIATION 5 : 1 pp. 13-23. , 11 p.m. (2003) https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/16226510390856448

Patents

Method and device for measuring excitation kinetics necessary for induction of Chlorophyll fluorescence adopted for unique properties of plants, 2010-09-28.

Journals

Photosynthetica, Applied Optics

Infrastructure

TCSPC setup, Shimadzu fluorescence spectrometer, Perkin-Elmer UV-VIS-NIR spectrofluorometer, self-developed fluorometers and fluorosensors

Projects

AQUAFLUORSENSE - Development of a modular, direct and immunofluorimetry as well as plasma spectroscopy based detector and instrument family for in situ, complex water quality monitoring, and application studies, 2018-2021, participant, National Competitiveness and Excellence Program, National Research, Development and Innovation Fund of Hungary, Hungarian Government

Development of human brain diagnostics for the treatment of epilepsy with fluorescent dyes and high-resolution, wide-angle, fast scanning 3D two-photon microscopes, 2017-2018, participant, National Research, Development and Innovation Fund of Hungary, Hungarian Government

SPICY-Smart tools for Prediction and Improvement of Crop Yield, 2008-2012, participant, EU FP7 project, European Commission

Industry relations

Optimal-Optik Kft., Opti-Sens Bt

Conferences

Csősz, Dániel ; Lenk, Sándor ; Barócsi, Attila ; Csoke, Tibor Lóránt ; Klátyik, Szandra ; Lázár, Diana ; Berki, Mária ; Adányi, Nora ; Csákányi, Attila ; Domján, László et al.
Sensitive fluorescence instrumentation for water quality assessment
In: Optical, Society of America (ed.) Fourier Transform Spectroscopy 2019 : Proceedings Optical Sensors and Sensing Congress (ES, FTS, HISE, Sensors)
Washington DC, United States of America : Optical Society of America ( OSA) (2019) Paper: JW3A.29, Participant: Sándor Lenk, presenter

Barócsi, Attila ; Csősz, Dániel ; Lenk, Sándor ; Csoke, Tibor Lóránt ; Csíkvári, Péter ; Gádoros, Patrik ; Klátyik, Szandra ; Adány's, Nóra Kisbocskói ; Berki, Mária ; Székács, András** et al.
High-sensitivity, high-dynamics fluorescent water quality testing methods
In: Ádám, Péter; Almasi, Gábor; Mechler, Mátyás Illés (ed.) Quantum Electronics 2018 : VIII. Symposium on the results of domestic quantum electronic research
Pécs, Hungary : Pécs University Faculty of Science (PTE TTK) (2018) Paper: P-1 , 2 p., , Participant: Sándor Lenk & Attila Barócsi, presenters