Personal profile
Description of research and teaching
My research
I am interested in antibiotic resistance in various environments on a global scale including Asia and Africa. For details, see our research pages
My teaching
I teach different courses on biosciences for the students of University of Helsinki. I am director of Doctoral Programme in Multidisciplinary Research in Renewable Natural Resources (RENEW).
External positions
Multidisciplinary Center of Excellence in Antimicrobial Resistance Research - www.fimar.fi
1 Jan 2022 → …
Fields of Science
- 11832 Microbiology and virology
- 1172 Environmental sciences
- 415 Other agricultural sciences
Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
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Use of sequence barcodes for tracking horizontal gene transfer of antimicrobial resistance genes in a microbial community
Partanen, A. V. K., Dekić Rozman, S., Karkman, A. V., Muurinen, S. J., Hiltunen, T. J. & Virta, M. P. J., 10 Jul 2025, In: ISME communications. 5, 1, 10 p., ycaf113.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Scientific › peer-review
Open AccessFile -
Antibiotic resistance in European wastewater treatment plants mirrors the pattern of clinical antibiotic resistance prevalence
Parnanen, K. M. M., Narciso-da-Rocha, C., Kneis, D., Berendonk, T. U., Cacace, D., Do, T. T., Elpers, C., Fatta-Kassinos, D., Henriques, I., Jaeger, T., Karkman, A., Luis Martinez, J., Michael, S. G., Michael-Kordatou, I., O'Sullivan, K., Rodriguez-Mozaz, S., Schwartz, T., Sheng, H., Sorum, H. & Stedtfeld, R. D. & 6 others, , Mar 2019, In: Science Advances. 5, 3, 10 p., 9124.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Scientific › peer-review
Open AccessFile -
Maternal gut and breast milk microbiota affect infant gut antibiotic resistome and mobile genetic elements
Pärnänen, K., Karkman, A., Hultman, J., Lyra, C., Bengtsson-Palme, J., Larsson, D. G. J., Rautava, S., Isolauri, E., Salminen, S., Kumar, H., Satokari, R. & Virta, M., 1 Dec 2018, In: Nature Communications. 9, 1, 11 p., 3891.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Scientific › peer-review
Open AccessFile -
Antibiotic-Resistance Genes in Waste Water
Karkman, A. V., Thuy Do, T., Walsh, F. & Virta, M. P. J., Mar 2018, In: Trends in Microbiology. 26, 3, p. 220-228 9 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Review Article › peer-review
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Massively parallel sequencing of single cells by epicPCR links functional genes with phylogenetic markers
Spencer, S. J., Tamminen, M. V., Preheim, S. P., Guo, M. T., Briggs, A. W., Brito, I. L., A Weitz, D., Pitkanen, L. K., Vigneault, F., Virta, M. P. J. & Alm, E. J., 2016, In: ISME Journal. 10, 2, p. 427-436 10 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Scientific › peer-review
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High throughput analysis of gene transfer in microbial communities (AGenT)
Virta, M. (Project manager), Markkanen, M. A. (Participant), Partanen, V. (Participant) & Rozman, I. (Participant)
01/09/2025 → 31/08/2029
Project: Research Council of Finland: Academy Project
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AMR CoE: Multidisciplinary Center of Excellence in Antimicrobial Resistance Research (AMR-CoE)
Virta, M. (Project manager), Dekić Rozman, S. (Participant), Hartikainen, S. (Participant), Lyasnikova, V. N. (Participant), Markkanen, M. A. (Participant), Muurinen, J. (Participant), Partanen, V. (Participant) & Rozman, I. (Participant)
01/01/2024 → 31/12/2026
Project: Research Council of Finland: Centre of Exellence
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Genomics and metagenomics of bacterial antibiotic and metal resistance
Tamminen, M. (Participant), Karkman, A. (Participant), Pitkänen, L. (Participant), Muziasari, W. (Participant), Lyra, C. (Participant), Pärnänen, K. M. M. (Project manager), Muurinen, J. (Project manager), Hynninen, A. (Project manager) & Virta, M. (Principal Investigator)
01/01/2005 → …
Project: Research project
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Bioavailability of metals and xenobiotics
Hynninen, A. (Participant), Rajasärkkä, J. (Participant), Virta, M. (Participant) & Muurinen, J. (Participant)
01/01/2001 → …
Project: Research project
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HiLIFE Grand Challenge: Combatting Antimicrobial Drug Resistance
Virta, M. (Project manager) & Holm, L. (Participant)
01/10/2018 → 31/12/2021
Project: Research project
Prizes
Activities
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Opponent for PhD Thesis (Fredrik Håkonsholm )
Virta, M. (Opponent)
25 Apr 2023Activity: Examination types › Opponent of doctoral dissertation
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Water4All Parnership Scientific and Technological Board (External organisation)
Virta, M. (Board member)
2023 → 2024Activity: Membership types › Membership or other role in national/international committee, council, board
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6th International Symposium on the Environmental Dimension of Antibiotic Resistance (EDAR6)
Virta, M. (Speaker: Presenter)
25 Sept 2022Activity: Participating in or organising an event types › Organisation and participation in conferences, workshops, courses, seminars
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Opponent for PhD Thesis (Simon Bo Lassen)
Virta, M. (Opponent)
7 Apr 2021Activity: Examination types › Opponent of doctoral dissertation
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79th FIP World Congress of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences
Virta, M. (Invited speaker)
23 Sept 2019Activity: Talk or presentation types › Invited talk
Press/Media
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Modernit jätevedenpuhdistamot poistavat antibiooteille vastustuskykyisiä bakteereja tehokkaasti jätevedestä (TV)
23/04/2019
1 item of Media coverage
Press/Media: Press / Media
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Antibiotikaresistens väntas år 2050 leda till fler dödsfall än vad cancer gör – forskare samarbetar för att lösa problemet (Web)
29/03/2019
1 item of Media coverage
Press/Media: Press / Media
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-UNIVERSITY OF HELSINKI: Wastewater reveals the levels of antibiotic resistance in a region
28/03/2019
1 item of Media coverage
Press/Media: Press / Media