Scientific dream team: Karolina Tkacz and Igor Turkiewicz

Karolina Tkacz and Igor Turkiewicz started their doctoral studies with a bang, receiving Diamond Grants,which they had applied for while still studying for their Master's degrees.

– The Diamond Grant was awarded to two projects, Karolina's and mine - says Igor Turkiewicz. – These were two applications not only from the same university, but also from the same department and the same supervisor, i.e. Prof. Aneta Wojdyło. The Commission recognised the potential in our research plans.

– We were delighted, because we started our doctoral studies with specific projects, so we were off to a good start. Our well-established goals and research assumptions let us get down to work immediately and develop new skills faster. As part of my PhD work, I am working on sea buckthorn in the design of foods with a targeted health-promoting potential, while the Diamond Grant was awarded for the project "Development of a sensory-attractive functional product based on sea buckthorn fruit with determination of biological properties by in vitro methods". I have additionally extended the scope of my research to include the microencapsulation of juices by pursuing an Innovative Doctorate – says Karolina Tkacz.

Igor Turkiewicz deals with Japanese quince, and his Diamond Grant was for his work on the potential use of quince in obtaining innovative products with programmed health-promoting properties, additionally with the application of osmotic dehydration of fruits in fruit concentrates (Innovative Doctorate).

They both admit that working on these projects is still an eye-opener to new possibilities and research topics. And they say that they are still trying to "squeeze" more out of the raw materials they work with.

– We are lucky enough to have a very strong scientific supervisor. Prof. Aneta Wojdyło always emphasises that one should not write for the sake of it, but consider how the project results can be applied outside the laboratory. Our research team has established cooperation with food industry companies, and we design products that end up on the shelves in shops, which has taught us how to focus research on the current needs of the food market – adds Igor Turkiewicz.

They both emphasise that they try to do their research in a way that it is ultimately used in an industry that is constantly looking for new food formulas and nutraceuticals.

– In the laboratory, we test biologically active compounds of raw plant materials using mainly UPLC-MS methods. But we also go a step further. We have recently been working on a model of a simulated human digestive system, and I think we will continue research with its use in the future. Taking into account the bioavailability of health-promoting compounds is becoming more popular, especially that animal food research is severely limited. So if we are able to create a complete simulated digestive system model, it will be a great success – says Karolina Tkacz optimistically.

Igor Turkiewicz emphasises that he still follows trends that appear in various publications and realises that the determination of antioxidant activity alone is not enough. – Scientists, including reviewers, currently expect something more. Therefore, simulated digestion is what makes us different. And then we'll include research on cell lines.

Karolina Tkacz and Igor Turkiewicz have been working on improving the analysis of bioavailability and absorption in vitro for over a year, using equipment available at the university. – At first, we hoped to get a digestion simulation machine, but unfortunately this is out of our reach at the moment, although we plan to find a project that will enable the purchase of such equipment – adds Igor Turkiewicz.

They both work in the Lead Research Team "Plants4FOOD", where they gain new experiences. But they admit that their foreign internships also taught them a lot. They started off with Erasmus+ at Universidad Miguel Hernández de Elche in Spain, where they ended up in a team dealing with sensory evaluation and analysis of volatile compounds.

– The team we worked in was focused on the evaluation of chocolate, turron, wines and oils, which are typical Spanish products. It was something new for us, because we changed working in a laboratory for the opportunity to travel, meet people, and discuss specific research problems. It showed us how to professionally conduct sensory assessment and more about its modern methods - says Igor Turkiewicz.

Karolina Tkacz adds that they later transferred the knowledge gained in Spain to Wrocław, and developed some research tasks with sensory analysis. – So we were very pleased after this trip, and it was our first step towards the next internships abroad. The following year, as part of PROM, we went to the CEBAS-CSIC research institute in the south of Spain, where we trained on the identification of secondary metabolites of plants using mass spectrometry techniques in teams supervised by Prof. Federico Ferreres, Prof. Angela Gil-Izqierdo, Prof. Federico Ferreres and Dr. Diego A. Moreno.

The next PROM adventure was last year's trip to the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities in the USA. The internship was organised under the supervision of Prof. A. Saari Csallany and conducted research on vegetable fats, the activity of compounds formed during thermal processing of fats, as well as the analysis of vitamin E derivatives.

– We came across a completely different attitude towards studying than in Poland. It is quite normal, for example, that a doctoral thesis is conducted across several, if not a dozen or so departments, and a doctoral student usually has several supervisors. Each research assignment is carried out somewhere else, making the projects highly interdisciplinary – says Karolina Tkacz, adding that they had not come across this approach at Polish universities. – In addition, open seminars are very common, run in a friendly atmosphere with lively and constructive discussions.

– In the USA they are more relaxed, which I think is better, because it allows students to be more creative – adds Igor Turkiewicz. – Even if students have an idea, but are not sure if they are right, they are not afraid to ask. They are open to discussion and know the supervisor is their best friend. In Poland we are still too stressed about everything.

As Igor Turkiewicz points out, although we can envy the Americans for their approach, when it comes to the facilities and research infrastructure we have nothing to complain about. – The fact is that European laboratories are equipped with the most modern equipment. But we can learn a lot from the Americans' approach to studying and scientific development.

They combined their visit to the United States with traveling, visiting Washington and Philadelphia, spent a week in New York, and even managed to sunbathe on the beach in Miami, before ending their stay in San Francisco just before the borders closed due to the pandemic.

– Doctoral studies are a time of creativity, numerous projects, training programs and research trips. The results are publications in leading magazines, scientific development and a broader worldview – emphasises Karolina Tkacz.

In the future, the doctoral students plan to develop their work towards industry and are unlikely to finish in the area they are focusing on in their doctoral dissertations. And they still want to work together, because, as they say – that's how they motivate each other to work. In addition, it is easier for them to work as a team, because it gives them greater visibility.

– People often ask if we are a couple. We have been both mistaken for siblings and a married couple, but we are just a good team that works well together. We are in our third year, there is still a year of doctoral studies ahead of us, and we have to start thinking about our defences. We definitely have some interesting ideas, which may turn into a project, but all this is still ahead of us. A team is always able to achieve more than a single player. And most importantly, we trust each other – they say in unison.

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