Synchrotrons produce fine beams of photons of great intensity and as Science's John Bohannon points out the, "design of [the Australian instrument] allows for a wide range of applications, from nanotechnology and cell biology to forensic sciences. Because of this versatility, the synchrotron 'has attracted more support across the whole spectrum of national science than any other project in Australia's research history,' says John Brumby, Australia's minister for innovation."

 

Once all of the beam lines become operational (it's to start with four of its total of 13) some 1200 researchers (a third from overseas) are expected to use the facility, and Dean Morris' hope is it will go someway, "to put Australia on the scientific map for big international collaborations."

 

He makes the point that Australia wasn't asked to join ITER, the international fusion initiative now being built in Cadarache, France: "We have the expertise to take part in these sorts of projects, but without any world-class research facilities of our own, we're not considered as being in the same league." And he hoped that together with the newly commissioned research nuclear reactor at Lucas Heights which provides neutron beams for materials science experiments Australia will be considered to have a place at the table.

 

And synchrotron director Robert Lamb predicts the synchrotron, "will transform the technical nature of many Australian industries," while Robert Robinson, head of the Bragg Institute in Sydney believes: "These tools … will enable Australia to compete effectively with researchers in the strongest Northern Hemisphere countries."

 

It's been a long time in coming let's hope it signals the beginning of a renaissance for Australian science.