Victoria to establish Australia's first synchrotron

The Bracks Government has announced that it would establish a national synchrotron facility at Monash University.

Mr Bracks said the Victorian Government would join with Monash University and other project partners to enable the construction of the $157 million facility, starting in 2001/02.

Mr Bracks said the synchrotron - a large hollow ring about 60 m in diameter - is basically a microscope tens of millions of times more powerful than a conventional microscope.

The State Government will provide up to $100 million for the synchrotron, with the balance from other project partners, such as research institutions and the private sector. Mr Bracks said that the Victorian project enjoyed widespread national support from universities, other state governments, industry groups, and almost universal support from Australia's science and research community.

Organisations supporting the project include CSIRO, Western Mining, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute, Rio Tinto, Ericsson Australia, Telstra, the Committee for Melbourne, the Victorian Employer's Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Australia-Israel Chamber of Commerce and the Victorian Chamber of Mines.

The synchrotron has a broad range of uses in advanced materials, micro-manufacturing, biological sciences, mining and mineral processing, pharmaceuticals, and genosciences.

Synchrotrons can 'see' the 3D structure of proteins, genetic structures and viruses. They facilitate drug discovery and pharmaceutical development. The influenza drug Relenza, designed by Victorian scientists, was developed using an American synchrotron.

Item provided courtesy of Science Industry