Dr Kata Farkas
Environmental Virologist
Contact info
Environment Centre Wales
School of Natural Sciences
Bangor University
Bangor LL57 2UW, UK
Phone: +44 (0) 1248 382615
Email: k.farkas@bangor.ac.uk
I competed my PhD in microbiology at the University of Canterbury, New Zealand in 2014. My research focused on the fate and behaviour of enteric viruses in groundwater. After finishing my studies, I was involved in various project that uses viral metagenomics approaches to identify viruses (both known and novel) in various ecosystems. Since 2015, I have been working at the Bangor University, on the Viraqua Project (www.viraqua.uk; 2015-2018) and at the Shellfish Centre (2019-onward).
My research focuses on the ecology and survival of viruses in the aquatic environment with a special interest in the fate of enteric viruses. Enteric viruses are responsible for the majority of gastroenteral illnesses globally putting an enormous burden on healthcare systems and the wider economy. These pathogens are often found in water reservoirs (recreational and drinking water sources, shellfish harvesting areas) and hence responsible for water- and foodborne outbreaks. I design and validate methods for the recovery of enteric viruses in the aquatic environment in order to quantify infectious viruses, understand viral ecology, describe novel and emerging strains and model viral transport in the environment.
- 2021
- Published
Attenuation and transport of human enteric viruses and bacteriophage MS2 in alluvial sand and gravel aquifer media-laboratory studies
Pang, L., Farkas, K., Lin, S., Hewitt, J., Premaratne, A. & Close, M., 15 May 2021, In: Water research. 196, 117051.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
- Published
Concentration and quantification of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in wastewater using polyethylene glycol-based concentration and qRT-PCR
Farkas, K., Hillary, L., Thorpe, J., Walker, D., Lowther, J. A., McDonald, J., Malham, S. & Jones, D. L., 23 Feb 2021, In: Methods and Protocols. 4, 1, 10 p., 17.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
- 2020
- Published
Shedding of SARS-CoV-2 in feces and urine and its potential role in person-to-person transmission and the environment-based spread of COVID-19
Jones, D. L., Baluja, M. Q., Graham, D. W., Corbishley, A., McDonald, J. E., Malham, S. K., Hillary, L. S., Connor, T. R., Gaze, W. H., Moura, I. B., Wilcox, M. H. & Farkas, K., 20 Dec 2020, In: Science of the Total Environment. 749, 141364.Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › peer-review
- Published
Comparison of virus concentration methods for the RT-qPCR-based recovery of murine hepatitis virus, a surrogate for SARS-CoV-2 from untreated wastewater
Ahmed, W., Bertsch, P., Bivins, A., Bibby, K., Farkas, K., Gathercole, A., Haramoto, E., Gyawali, P., Korajkic, A., McMinn, B., Mueller, J., Simpson, S., Smith, W., Symonds, E., Thomas, K., Verhagen, R. & Kitajima, M., 15 Oct 2020, In: Science of the Total Environment. 739, 139960.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
- Published
Wastewater and public health: the potential of wastewater surveillance for monitoring COVID-19
Farkas, K., Hillary, L., Malham, S., McDonald, J. & Jones, D. L., Oct 2020, In: Current Opinion in Environmental Science & Health. 17, p. 14-20 7 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
- Published
Viral indicators for tracking domestic wastewater contamination in the aquatic environment
Farkas, K., Walker, D., Adriaenssens, E., McDonald, J., Hillary, L., Malham, S. & Jones, D. L., 15 Aug 2020, In: Water Research. 181, 115926.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
- Published
Emerging technologies for the rapid detection of enteric viruses in the aquatic environment
Farkas, K., Mannion, F., Hillary, L., Malham, S. & Walker, D., Aug 2020, In: Current Opinion in Environmental Science & Health. 16, p. 1-6Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
- Published
Wastewater-Based Epidemiology: Global Collaborative to Maximize Contributions in the Fight Against COVID-19
Bivins, A., North, D., Ahmad, A., Ahmed, W., Alm, E., Been, F., Bhattacharya, P., Bijlsma, L., Boehm, A. B., Brown, J., Buttiglieri, G., Calabro, V., Carducci, A., Castiglioni, S., Gurol, Z. C., Chakraborty, S., Costa, F., Curcio, S., de los Reyes, F. L. . III., Vela, J. D., Farkas, K., Fernandez-Casi, X., Gerba, C., Gerrity, D., Girones, R., Gonzalez, R., Haramoto, E., Harris, A., Holden, P. A., Islam, M. T., Jones, D. L., Kasprzyk-Hordern, B., Kitajima, M., Kotlarz, N., Kumar, M., Kuroda, K., La Rosa, G., Malpei, F., Mautus, M., McLellan, S. L., Medema, G., Meschke, J. S., Mueller, J., Newton, R. J., Nilsson, D., Noble, R. T., van Nuijs, A., Peccia, J., Perkins, T. A., Pickering, A. J., Rose, J., Sanchez, G., Smith, A., Stadler, L., Stauber, C., Thomas, K., van der Voorn, T., Wigginton, K., Zhu, K. & Bibby, K., 7 Jul 2020, In: Environmental Science and Technology. 54, 13, p. 7754-7757Research output: Contribution to journal › Editorial › peer-review
- 2019
- Published
Critical Evaluation of CrAssphage as a Molecular Marker for Human-Derived Wastewater Contamination in the Aquatic Environment
Farkas, K., Adriaenssens, E. M., Walker, D. I., McDonald, J., Malham, S. & Jones, D. L., 1 Jun 2019, In: Food and Environmental Virology. 11, 2, p. 113-119Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
- Published
Viral dispersal in the coastal zone: A method to quantify water quality risk
Robins, P., Farkas, K., Jones, D. L., Cooper, D. & Malham, S., May 2019, In: Environment International. 126, p. 430-442Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
- 2018
- Published
Seasonal and diurnal surveillance of treated and untreated wastewater for human enteric viruses
Farkas, K., Marshall, M., Cooper, D., McDonald, J. E., Malham, S. K., Peters, D. E., Maloney, J. D. & Jones, D. L., Nov 2018, In: Environmental Science and Pollution Research. 25, 33, p. 33391-33401Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
- Published
Two-Step Concentration of Complex Water Samples for the Detection of Viruses
Farkas, K., McDonald, J., Malham, S. & Jones, D. L., 10 Sept 2018, In: Methods and Protocols. 1, 3, 35.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
- Published
Genomoviruses associated with mountain and western pine beetles
Kraberger, S., Hofstetter, R. W., Potter, K. A., Farkas, K. & Varsani, A., 2 Sept 2018, In: Virus Research. 256, p. 17-20Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
- Published
Seasonal and spatial dynamics of enteric viruses in wastewater and in riverine and estuarine receiving waters
Malham, S., Farkas, K., McDonald, J., Jones, D. L., Cooper, D. & de Rougemont, A., 1 Sept 2018, In: Science of the Total Environment. 634, p. 1174 1183 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
- Published
Viromic Analysis of Wastewater Input to a River Catchment Reveals a Diverse Assemblage of RNA Viruses
Adriaenssens, E. M., Farkas, K., Harrison, C., Jones, D. L., Allison, H. E. & McCarthy, A., 22 May 2018, In: mSystems. 3, 3, e00025-18.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
- Published
Fish polyomaviruses belong to two distinct evolutionary lineages
Van Doorslaer, K., Kraberger, S., Austin, C., Farkas, K., Bergeman, M., Paunil, E., Davison, W. & Varsani, A., 8 Mar 2018, In: Journal of General Virology. 99, 4, p. 567-573Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
- 2017
- Published
Evaluation of Two Triplex One-Step qRT-PCR Assays for the Quantification of Human Enteric Viruses in Environmental Samples
Farkas, K., Peters, D. E., McDonald, J., de Rougemont, A., Malham, S. & Jones, D., Sept 2017, In: Food and Environmental Virology. 9, 3, p. 342-349Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Tracking effluent discharges in undisturbed stony soil and alluvial gravel aquifer using synthetic DNA tracers
Pang, L., Robson, B., Farkas, K., McGill, E., Varsani, A., Gillot, L., Li, J. & Abraham, P., 15 Aug 2017, In: Science of the Total Environment. 592, p. 144-152Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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Genome sequences of a capulavirus infecting Plantago lanceolata in the Åland archipelago of Finland
Susi, H., Laine, A-L., Filloux, D., Kraberger, S., Farkas, K., Bernardo, P., Frilander, M. J., Martin, D. P., Varsani, A. & Roumagnac, P., 1 Jul 2017, In: Archives of Virology. 162, 7, p. 2041-2045Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
- Published
Genome sequences of Beet curly top Iran virus, Oat dwarf virus, Turnip curly top virus, and wheat dwarf virus identified in leafhoppers
Kamali, M., Heydarnejad, J., Pouramini, N., Masumi, H., Farkas, K., Kraberger, S. & Varsani, A., 23 Feb 2017, In: Genome Announcements. 5, 8, e01674-16.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
- Published
Evaluation of Molecular Methods for the Detection and Quantification of Pathogen-Derived Nucleic Acids in Sediment
Farkas, K., Hassard, F., McDonald, J., Malham, S. & Jones, D., 24 Jan 2017, In: Frontiers in Microbiology. 6, p. 1-12 53.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
- 2016
- Published
Abundance and Distribution of Enteric Bacteria and Viruses in Coastal and Estuarine Sediments—a Review
Hassard, F., Gwyther, C. L., Farkas, K., Andrews, A., Jones, V., Cox, B., Brett, H., Jones, D., McDonald, J. & Malham, S., 1 Nov 2016, In: Frontiers in Microbiology.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
- Published
Molecular characterization and prevalence of two capulaviruses: Alfalfa leaf curl virus from France and Euphorbia caput-medusae latent virus from South Africa
Bernardo, P., Muhire, B., Francois, S., Deshoux, M., Hartnady, P., Farkas, K., Kraberger, S., Filloux, D., Fernandez, E., Galzi, S., Ferdinand, R., Granier, M., Marais, A., Blasco, P. M., Candresse, T., Escriu, F., Varsani, A., Harkins, G. W., Martin, D. P. & Roumagnac, P., 1 Jun 2016, In: Virology. 493, p. 142-153Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
- Published
The ancient evolutionary history of polyomaviruses
Buck, C. B., Van Doorslaer, K., Peretti, A., Geoghegan, E. M., Tisza, M. J., An, P., Katz, J. P., Pipas, J. M., McBride, A. A., Camus, A. C., McDermott, A. J., Dill, J. A., Delwart, E., Ng, T. F. F., Farkas, K., Austin, C., Kraberger, S., Davison, W., Pastrana, F. V. & Varsani, A., 19 Apr 2016, In: PLoS Pathogens. 12, 4, e1005574.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
- 2015
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Serological responses to Cryptosporidium antigens in inhabitants of Hungary using conventionally filtered surface water and riverbank filtered drinking water
Farkas, K., Plutzer, J., Moltchanova, E., Torokne, A., Varro, M. J., Domokos, K., Frost, F. & Hunter, P. R., Oct 2015, In: Epidemiology and Infection. 143, 13, p. 2743-2747Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review