We have two START scholarship winners

Innovations in hydropower

Dr. Paweł Tomczyk received the scholarship for his research on the impact of hydropower plants on water quality and bottom sediments. His work, based on a series of five publications, focused on the use of water quality indices to assess the environmental impact of hydropower plants. This research, part of his doctorate, was conducted in international collaboration with scientists from KU Leuven in Belgium and the University of Lisbon.

As the laureate emphasizes, hydropower is significant in the context of the European Green Deal, which aims for at least a 42.5% share of renewable energy in final energy consumption by 2030 in EU countries, and in the context of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which highlights the importance of improving water quality to advance sustainable water resource management. – Detecting, monitoring, and modeling spatio-temporal changes in water quality are therefore essential – he adds.

His work contributes to a better understanding and monitoring of spatio-temporal changes in water quality, which is crucial for sustainable water resource management. The scientist plans to further develop this field, including a research internship at the University of Lisbon. Paweł Tomczyk.

– The scholarship is a significant achievement and recognition of my scientific work – says the laureate, expressing gratitude for the support and valuable advice of Prof. Mirosław Wiatkowski. – I plan to use the scholarship funds for the development of the PRELUDIUM project, which examines changes in water quality in rivers used for hydropower, and for a research internship at the University of Lisbon. During the six-month internship, I will focus on improving my skills in machine learning, artificial intelligence, R language application, and hydrodynamic modeling of water quality within hydropower plants in the context of climate change – he adds.

Revolution in the use of quince fruits

Dr. Igor Turkiewicz, on the other hand, was recognized for advancing knowledge about quince fruits through his research projects carried out under the Diamond Grant and Innovative Doctorate programs. His research focused on developing technologies to increase the retention of bioactive compounds in quince fruit products, which is crucial for the food industry.

Dr. Turkiewicz discovered that quince fruits have strong antioxidant and hypoglycemic potential, which can contribute to the development of new health-promoting food products. – I have proven that quince fruits have strong potential to inhibit two key enzymes in sugar metabolism, development, and pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes – says the laureate.

His research opened new perspectives for the food industry in utilizing this raw material, despite its high acidity, which has previously limited its use in production. – The product range of quince fruits available on the market is poor, and most often high-sugar products appear. Therefore, I undertook research to develop new, innovative ways to use these fruits in the food industry while preserving their full bioactive potential – he adds. Igor Turkiewicz.

The positive news about receiving the START scholarship surprised Dr. Turkiewicz abroad, as he is currently on a research internship at the Food Science Research Institute (CIAL) in Madrid in the research team of Prof. del Castillo. He is expanding his knowledge and skills in simulated in vitro digestion. “This topic is particularly important to me as I am currently carrying out a research project under the Preludium 21 grant. It concerns the possibility of stabilizing chlorophyll pigments in the spray drying process. One of the project's tasks is to verify the bioavailability and bioaccessibility of these compounds in the simulated human gastrointestinal tract,” says the scientist.

The START scholarship not only recognizes young scientists but also provides the financial support necessary for the further development of their research, which is crucial for their scientific careers.

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