New Zealand and Turkish scientists win 2020 IUR grants
The IULTCS Research Commission (IUR) has announced the winners of its research grants for 2020. In awarding the grants to scientists under the age of 35, the IULTCS (the International Union of Leather Technologists’ and Chemists’ Societies) said its aim was to help support the work of young talent in the leather sector. This is the sixth year in which the programme has run.
A selection committee, chaired by Dr Michael Meyer, co-director of Freiberg-based leather research body FILK, chose Dr Megha Mehta from the New Zealand Leather and Shoe Research Association (LASRA) as the winner of the Young Leather Scientist grant for basic research. She wins €1,500 to support a research project to investigates the structural differences in hides, skins and leather throughout the different stages of processing. IUR said this will enable investigation of the changes that take place in the microstructure of leather, adding that the structural basis of these changes at the level of collagen cross-links is poorly understood.
The 2020 machinery award grant goes to Nilay Ork Efendioglu, who works in the leather engineering department at Ege University in Turkey. Machinery manufacturer Erretre has provided sponsorship of this grant, which is for €1,000. The focus of her research project is determining leather properties required for 3D simulation programmes and obtaining realistic visualisations.
This research will help build up a leather material database for 3D simulation programmes. This will enable production of more realistic visuals of products such as leather garments and better samples.
The third award, for sustainability and environmental research, has gone to Wenkai Zhang, who is also from LASRA. Sponsorship for this award has come from campaign group Leather Naturally; its value is €1,000. The winning research project focuses on the fate of biocides used in the leather industry and their environmental impact.
