Profile of Dr Kata Farkas

Name
Dr Kata Farkas
Position
Postdoctoral Research Officer
Email
k.farkas@bangor.ac.uk
Phone
(44) 01248 383056
Location
Environment Centre Wales Building, 2nd floor

Background

My research focuses on water microbiology; I study the fate, behaviour and ecology of microbes and viruses in water environment. I am particularly interested in the development of molecular techniques for the accurate quantification of bacteria and viruses in the environment, investigating viral survival and infectivity. I recently started to explore novel viral strains might be harmful to humans and animals and to describe viral ecology in relation to other microbes found in water using metaviromics.

I am currently the lead research scientist on the Viraqua Project at the Bangor University, Wales. The project aims to describe the fate and behaviour of wastewater-derived enteric viruses in the water and improve current risk assessment (www.viraqua.uk). 

Education

CV

Career:

Since 2015:      Postdoctoral Research Officer, Bangor University, UK
2014-2015:      Post-doctoral research scientist, University of Canterbury, New Zealand
2007-2011:      Molecular biologist, National Institute of Environmental Health, Hungary
Education:
Onward:           Postgraduate certificate in higher education teaching and learning, Bangor University, UK
2014:               PhD in Microbiology, University of Canterbury, New Zealand
Thesis: Mimicking virus removal and transport in aquifer media using surface-modified silica nanoparticles (http://ir.canterbury.ac.nz/handle/10092/9349)
2007:               MSc in Biology and Molecular Genetics, Eötvös Loránd University, Hungary
                        Thesis: Molecular examination of the xylanase enzyme
Awards:

Innovation Award – Innovative research at the School of Biological Sciences at the Annual Biology Conference, New Zealand, 2011.
PhD scholarship – Royal Society of New Zealand, 2011 – 2014.

Presentations – 2017:

Farkas K. The secret life of enteric viruses in water environment. Invited speaker at Seminar Series of the Centre for Water Resource Systems. Vienna University of Technology, Austria, 24 November 2017.
Farkas K, Kienmoser V, Malham SK. Enteric viruses is shellfish – What, how, where? 7th International Oyster Symposium, Bangor, Wales. 11-14 September 2017.
Farkas K, Cooper DM, Robins P, Jones, DL. Viraqua – Tracing human pathogenic viruses through the environment. Invites speaker at 58th Water Network Meeting, Cranfield, UK, 22 June 2017.
Farkas K, McDonald JE, Peters DE, Cross L, Malham SK, Jones DL. Viraqua – New approaches for the surveillance of enteric viruses in the environment. 19th International Symposium on Health-Related Microbiology, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, 15-19 May 2017.

Research

I am currently working on a NERC funded project entitled ‘New approaches for the quantitative detection of human pathogenic viruses within the freshwater-marine continuum’. The project aims are:

1. Develop robust technologies for the reproducible enumeration of viruses in different environmental matrices.
2. Evaluate new high-throughput molecular technologies for the rapid detection and characterisation of multiple target viruses from environmental samples.
3. Develop new time-integrating samplers which can be deployed in situ to capture low frequency, high risk events that are currently missed by traditional spot sampling.
4. Evaluate the application of the new methodologies to identify key viral inputs and reservoirs within the freshwater-marine continuum.
5. Use advanced mathematical models to improve prediction of viral flow from diffuse and point source discharges into high risk receptor areas (bathing waters & shellfish harvesting areas).
6. Develop and apply new techniques to evaluate viral infectivity.
7. Provide clear technical guidance on new virus methods and the use of those methods for risk assessment and risk management of shellfish and bathing water pollution.

For more details please visit www.viraqua.uk.

Publications

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