Sofia Persson

I hold a PhD in Medical Sciences from Uppsala University, specialising in the diagnostics and detection of foodborne viruses. Following my doctoral studies, I completed a two-year postdoctoral position at the Department of Microbial Ecology, where I now work part-time as a researcher. Alongside my research, I am employed as a molecular biologist at the Swedish Food Agency.

My research focuses on viruses in water, food, and wastewater, with two main areas of interest:

1.     Evaluation of new indicators for pathogenic viruses in water
Current water quality regulations are largely based on the analysis of so-called faecal indicator bacteria, such as E. coli and intestinal enterococci. However, these primarily reflect bacterial risks and are not sufficiently effective in predicting the likelihood of illness caused by common viruses such as norovirus (winter vomiting disease virus), hepatitis A virus, adenovirus, and rotavirus. These viruses represent a significant global disease burden, are environmentally stable, and are inefficiently removed by conventional wastewater treatment plants. In my research, I investigate alternative markers that can more reliably indicate the presence of viruses and associated health risks in water.

2.     Surveillance of viruses in wastewater
Wastewater-based surveillance is an effective tool for monitoring the spread of viral diseases in the community and serves as a valuable complement to traditional epidemiological monitoring, such as clinical testing. At SLU and SEEC, we analyse a range of respiratory viruses, including SARS-CoV-2, in 19 wastewater treatment plants across Sweden. Within SEEC, I am also involved in developing visualisation tools and evaluating methods to estimate the number of inhabitants contributing to the wastewater flow (so-called population normalisation).

I have served as main and co-supervisor for several undergraduate and master’s students at both SLU and Uppsala University. I regularly lecture on food- and waterborne viruses and on the validation of diagnostic methods.

My scientific articles can be found on Google Scholar.