Which innovations will reach our tables, and what challenges may arise along the way? These were the questions explored by participants of the 22nd Scientific Conference of Young Researchers, which we organised together with the University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn.
The conference once again created a space for presenting ideas, experiments and research results that can have a real impact on the development of food and human health.
Inaugural lecture – new food under the spotlight
The event opened with the lecture „New food – hopes and concerns”, dedicated to how innovative products can change our diet and the way we think about food. The discussion covered both the potential of new technologies and issues of safety, ethics and social acceptance.
What shapes the food of the future
- innovative raw materials and products – ice cream with mushrooms, microalgae in dairy products, exotic plants in hybrid cutlets,
- fermentation and prefermentation as a way to create functional products from whey, chokeberry or colostrum,
- new research tools for nutrition science: from projects on diabetes and the nutrition of dialysis patients to analyses of skin care at the gene level,
- a detailed approach to food safety – acrylamide, Listeria, the risk of product adulteration and the presence of trace elements in spices.
The range of topics showed that young researchers not only observe trends but actively look for solutions that can improve food production, enhance consumer health and increase market transparency.
Awarded presentations
During the conference, awards were presented to the authors of the most valuable talks. The awards went to:
- Agata Dąbkowska: Assessment of the potential use of β-glucans in the production of hybrid desserts,
- Joanna Wiśniewska: Development and characterisation of a multi-species in vitro model of the „diabetic foot”,
- Wiktor Zieliński: Acrylamide under control – an electrochemical aptasensor as a detection tool.
Members of the following committees were involved in the organisation and scientific supervision of the conference:
- Scientific Committee: Prof. Barbara Wróblewska, Dr Lidia Markiewicz, and from UWM Prof. Małgorzata Darewicz and Prof. Anna Iwaniak,
- Organising Committee: Dr Anna Maria Ogrodowczyk, Dr Joanna Fotschki, MSc Aleksandra Kuliga and from the University Dr Justyna Bucholska and Dr Damir Mogut.
The Scientific Conference of Young Researchers is not only a series of presentations – it is above all an exchange of ideas, inspiring discussions and the building of an environment in which young scientists can grow and collaborate. This year’s edition once again proved that innovation, courage and a fresh perspective can take research on food and health to an entirely new level.
