Overview

Ágnes Belák is an associate professor at the Department of Food Microbiology, Hygiene and Safety, at Institute of Food Science and Technology, Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences.

Her research focuses on the antimicrobial resistance of bacteria; inhibition of food-borne pathogens with antagonistic bacteria isolated from the processing environment; the effect of high-energy radiation on the degradation of antibiotics and antibiotic resistance of pathogenic bacteria; and the typical spoilage microbiota of foods and extracellular enzyme production of dominant microbes. Her expertise lies in the fact that she has extensive experience in the field of isolation, identification and typing of microorganisms found in food and in the environment, primarily using molecular biological methods. Ágnes Belák’s work contributes to questions of how microbes isolated from food and food raw materials, and their enzymes can be used in the valorisation of wastes. Across her research, she uses microbiological and nucleic acid based molecular biological methods.

She authored and co-authored more than 20 research articles in high-impact scientific journals. Ágnes Belák has collaborated with research groups in Austria, Slovenia, Italy and South Africa, and she has successfully applied for a few research grants nationally and internationally.

Research keywords:
food microbiota, dna-based methods, pathogenic bacteria

Publications

Belák, Á., Kovács, M., Ittzés, A., Pomázi, A. (2024) Development of a qPCR method for classification of botrytized grape berries originated from Tokaj wine region FOOD MICROBIOLOGY 123: 104582. doi.org/10.1016/j.fm.2024.104582

Kovács, M.; Wojnárovits, L.; Homlok, R.; Tegze, A.; Mohácsi-Farkas, C.; Takács, E.; Belák, Á. (2024) Changes in the behaviour of Staphylococcus aureus strains in the presence of oxacillin under the effect of gamma radiation ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION 340 (Pt2): 122843. DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2023.122843

Baráti-Deák, B.; Da Costa, A.G.C.; Perjéssy, J.; Klupács, A.; Zalán, Zs.; Mohácsi-Farkas, Cs.; Belák, Á. (2023) Inhibition of foodborne pathogenic bacteria by excreted metabolites of Serratia marcescens strains isolated from a dairy-producing environment MICROORGANISMS 11: 403. DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11020403

Belák, Á.; Maráz, A. (2015) Antagonistic effect of Pseudomonas sp. CMI-1 on foodborne pathogenic Listeria monocytogenes FOOD TECHNOLOGY AND BIOTECHNOLOGY 53: 223-230. doi: 10.17113/ftb.53.02.15.3731

Senses-Ergul, S; Ágoston, R; Belák, Á; Deák, T. (2006) Characterisation of some yeasts isolated from foods by traditional and molecular tests INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF FOOD MICROBIOLOGY 108: 120-124. doi.org/10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2005.10.014


Projects

„Charakterisierung der Mikrobiota auf Trockenfrüchten mit Fokus auf die bakterielle Stressadaptation” (Characterization of the microbiota of dried fruits with a focus on bacterial stress adaptation) (Austro-Hungarian Action Foundation, project number: 114öu1)
http://omaa.hu/hu/geforderte-projekte-berichte/

There are few studies in the literature dealing with the microbial and especially bacterial diversity of dried fruits. The aim of the project is to characterize the microbiota of dried fruits, with particular attention to bacteria and their adaptation to stress.

Dr. Ágnes Belák
Institute of Food Science and Technology
Campus address: H-1118 Budapest, Villányi rd. 29-43.
Belak.Agnes@uni-mate.hu
Belak.Agnes@uni-mate.hu

MTMT: 10026336
Scopus: 6507821590