Dr. Edit Kaszab - MATE Research
Overview
As the Head of the Department of Environmental Safety, Dr Edit Kaszab coordinates basic and applied research activity in the fields of environmental microbiology, molecular biology, ecotoxicology, environmental safety, and environmental protection, with a special focus on the environmental drivers of antimicrobial resistance. Her expertise covers the cultivation, enrichment and comprehensive characterization of antibiotic-resistant microorganisms originating from various environmental matrices in accordance with the One Health approach of the WHO She plays a significant role in the organization and planning of the education activity of the Institute and teaches at BSc, MSc and PhD levels.
Research keywords:
Publications
Environmental safety
Prikler, B., Szoboszlay, S., Mothoa, L. E., Kobolák, J., Dzsudzsák, E. L., Bordós, G., Micsinai, A., Szabó, I., Tamás, B., Háhn, J., & Kriszt, B. (2026). Co-occurrence of microplastics, heavy metals, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa in sewage sludge: One matrix, multiple threats to agricultural soils. Journal of Hazardous Materials Advances, 101070. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hazadv.2026.101070
Göbölös, B., Sebők, R. E., Szabó, G., Tóth, G., Szoboszlay, S., Kriszt, B., Kaszab, E., & Háhn, J. (2024). The cocktail effects on the acute cytotoxicity of pesticides and pharmaceuticals frequently detected in the environment. Toxics, 12(3), 189. https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics12030189
Prikler, B., Bordós, G., Kriszt, B., Micsinai, A., Szabó, I., Nyírő-Fekete, B., Palotai, Z., Kaszab, E., Szoboszlay, S., & Csenki, Z. (2024). Detection of microplastics in zebrafish housing systems: Can microplastic background contamination affect the final results of microplastic-related toxicological tests? Aquatic Toxicology, 273, 107020. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aquatox.2024.107020
Antimicrobial resistance
Háhn, J., Kriszt, B., Tóth, G., Jiang, D., Fekete, M., Szabó, I., Göbölös, B., Urbányi, B., Szoboszlay, S., & Kaszab, E. (2022). Glyphosate and glyphosate-based herbicides (GBHs) induce phenotypic imipenem resistance in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Scientific Reports, 12, 18258. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-23117-9
Kaszab, E., Kriszt, B., Atzél, B., Szabó, G., Szabó, I., Harkai, P., & Szoboszlay, S. (2010). The occurrence of multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa on hydrocarbon-contaminated sites. Microbial Ecology, 59(1), 37–45. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00248-009-9551-7
Kaszab, E., Szoboszlay, S., Dobolyi, C., Háhn, J., Pék, N., & Kriszt, B. (2011). Antibiotic resistance profiles and virulence markers of Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains isolated from composts. Bioresource Technology, 102(2), 1543–1548. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biortech.2010.08.027
Virulence
Kaszab, E., Radó, J., Kriszt, B., Pászti, J., Lesinszki, V., Szabó, A., … Szoboszlay, S. (2021). Groundwater, soil and compost, as possible sources of virulent and antibiotic-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa. International Journal of Environmental Health Research, 31(7), 848–860. https://doi.org/10.1080/09603123.2019.1691719
Kaszab, E., Szoboszlay, S., Dura, G., Radó, J., Kovács, B. & Kriszt, B. (2016). Pathogenic and phylogenetic features of 2 multiresistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains originated from remediated sites. Int J Occup Med Environ Health., 29(3), 503–516. https://doi.org/10.13075/ijomeh.1896.00679
Bio-based solutions
Eszterbauer, E., Erdei, N., Kóczán, P., Vámosi, R., Farkas, M., Kaján, G. L., Sipos, D., Sváb, D., & Kaszab, E. (2025). Molecular diversity of aquatic Pseudomonas spp. with inhibitory activity against Saprolegnia water mould (Oomycota). Journal of Fish Diseases. https://doi.org/10.1111/jfd.14156
Environmental microbiology
Farkas, M., Kaszab, E., Radó, J., Háhn, J., Tóth, G., Harkai, P., Ferincz, Á., Lovász, Z., Táncsics, A., Vörös, L., … Szoboszlay, S. (2020). Planktonic and benthic bacterial communities of the largest Central European shallow lake, Lake Balaton and its main inflow Zala River. Current Microbiology, 77(12), 4016–4028. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00284-020-02241-7
Farkas, M., Szoboszlay, S., Vörös, L., Lovász, Z., Méhes, N., Mátyás, K., Sebők, R., Kaszab, E., Háhn, J., Tóth, G., Harkai, P., Ferincz, Á., Táncsics, A., & Kriszt, B. (2022). Bacterial community dynamics along a river-wetland-lake system. Water, 14(21), 3519. https://doi.org/10.3390/w14213519
Svigruha, R., Prikler, B., Farkas, A., Ács, A., Fodor, I., Tapolczai, K., Schmidt, J., Bordós, G., Háhn, J., Harkai, P., Kaszab, E., Szoboszlay, S., & Pirger, Z. (2023). Presence, variation, and potential ecological impact of microplastics in the largest shallow lake of Central Europe. Science of the Total Environment, 883, 163537. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.163537
Projects
Advanced Bio-Based Solutions to Monitor and Mitigate Hormonal Risks from Irrigation Waters Derived from Manure Separation Technologies - Water4All2023-334 (2024-1.2.1-HE_PARTNERSÉG-2024-00024)
The BioTreatED project offers a new concept to mitigate the risks of steroid hormones and hormonally active compounds found in the solid and liquid fractions separated from livestock slurry and aims to develop a hormone-degrading microbial consortium and a comprehensive monitoring toolkit. https://water4all-biotreated.uni-mate.hu/en/
REPurpose - "Repurposing post-consumer waste into recyclable rubbery plastics" funded by the European Union (Grant Agreement No 101057971)
REPurpose aims to develop a Safe-and-Sustainable-by-Design platform where local post-consumer waste is upcycled into new functional REP polymers for the thermoplastic elastomers high-value market. https://www.repurposeproject.eu/
Development of multiparameter test systems for the analysis of the environmental impact of microplastics (Project no. 2020-1.1.2-PIACI-KFI-2021-00239)
Microplastic particles in indoor and workplace atmosphere and their microbiological impacts were identified as well as effects of waterborne microplastics and the toxicological impacts emitted into the environment during wastewater treatment processes. https://eurofinstudaskozpont.hu/mikormuanyagok-levegoben-es-szennyvizben_en.html
A green approach in the frame of circular economy: robocasted photocatalysts for wastewater treatment and use of reclaimed water in agriculture - Water4All-2022-FP-00049 (2023-1.2.2-HE_PARTNERSÉG)
The aim of the project is to obtain macroporous photocatalysts based on ecogenic metal oxides composites through robocasting technique, to evaluate the synergistic effect in the presence of microalgae in the removal of pollutants for wastewater treatment and to use regenerated water in agriculture. https://water4all.ro/watergreentreat/index.php/hu/113-2/
Improvement of the gamete quality and the artificial propagation using novel probiotic feed in common carp and rainbow trout - Turkish & Hungarian Joint Scientific Project (2022-1.2.6-TÉT-IPARI-TR-2022-00002)
Aquaculture faces resource scarcity and unpredictable reproduction in carp and rainbow trout, limiting sustainability. This project tests species-specific probiotic feeds to optimize microbiomes, improve gamete quality and fertilization success, and reduce production variability through Hungarian–Turkish collaboration.
