ANSTO to take ownership of Australian Synchrotron

The federal government has agreed to transfer ownership of the Australian Synchrotron to the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO).

Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science Christopher Pyne said the government has decided that ANSTO is best placed to own the synchrotron due to its long record of operating large-scale research infrastructure.

Last year the government committed $520 million to the synchrotron, as part of the National Innovation and Science Agenda, to cover its operational costs for the next decade.

“This will ensure continual access to the unique properties of the synchrotron’s light beams, as researchers will be able to reveal in exquisite detail the innermost structures of a range of materials,” Pyne said.

“This has applications for many industries, including mining, manufacturing, food security, the environment, energy, bio-security and health.”

ANSTO is involved in research into using nuclear materials to improve people’s lives, the economy and scientific understanding. The research includes developing radiopharmaceuticals into effective treatment of cancers such as neuroendocrine tumours.

“ANSTO is the custodian of some of Australia’s more significant and formidable science infrastructure, and the Australian Synchrotron will be the next great addition,” the organisation’s CEO Dr Adi Paterson said.

“It will now be better placed than it has ever been before to develop its beamline infrastructure, and commit to longer-term research. The synchrotron has delivered essential resources and innovations in the fields as diverse as medicine, agriculture and manufacturing, and now will deliver even more for Australians every day.”

Image courtesy ANSTO.