Media Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 14 2005
CLS SIGNS AGREEMENT WITH AUSTRALIAN SYNCHROTRON
The Canadian Light Source (CLS) at the University of Saskatchewan has signed
a memorandum of understanding with the Australian Synchrotron in Melbourne
intended to promote collaborative opportunities between the two facilities.
The agreement, announced by Victorian State Minister for Innovation John
Brumby, was signed on December 7 th.
CLS Executive Director Bill Thomlinson, who visited Melbourne to attend
a meeting of Australian synchrotron researchers, signed the agreement on
behalf of the CLS.
“I look forward to ongoing scientific exchange between our two facilities,” Thomlinson
said. “There is a great deal of similarity between them, and ongoing
scientific exchange will be good for both nations.”
Australian and Canadian scientists have been working together on a beamline
at the CLS, targeting minerals industry applications, and plan to transfer
the technology to Australia to drive possible development of a similar beamline
at the Australian Synchrotron, which is currently under construction in Melbourne.
Researchers at the CLS and the Australian Synchrotron will also work together
on medical imaging and radiation therapy research. Medical beamlines offer
exciting opportunities to improve diagnosis and treatment for diseases such
as aggressive cancers, with synchrotron microbeam radiotherapy showing promising
research results.
“The Canadian Light Source and the Australian Synchrotron MOU will
advance techniques and technology for fundamental and applied research,” Brumby
said. “This agreement further cements science links between the Canadian
and Australian synchrotrons, with synchrotron experts who helped build and
commission the Canadian Light Source now working on building the machine
at the Australian Synchrotron.”
The Australian MOU is the second agreement this year to be signed by the
CLS with another synchrotron. In June, Thomlinson signed an agreement with
Sincrotrone ELETTRA of Trieste, Italy for the development of its Life Science
Imaging Laboratory.
Located at the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon, the CLS is Canada’s
national synchrotron research facility. Synchrotron light is used to understand
the structure of matter at its fundamental level, leading to improved medical
imaging, new drugs, advanced materials, better mineral extraction techniques
and enhanced environmental monitoring.
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MOU Signing Ceremony, courtesy of State of Victoria Department
of Innovation, Industry and Regional Development (L to R) (Standing): Prof.
Rob Lewis, Monash University; Prof. Alan Jackson, Technical Director Australian
Synchrotron Project (ASP); Dr. Richard Garret, Facility Director, Australian
Synchrotron Research Program; Dr. Tuula Thomlinson, University of the Arctic;
Dr. Robert Hoobs, Technical & Industry Advisor, ASP; Stefanie Pearce, ASP;
Max Roger, Director, ASP; John Neve, Manager, ASP. (Seated) Fran Thorn,
Secretary, Dept. of Innovation, Industry and Regional Development; Dr.
Bill Thomlinson, Executive Director, CLS.
For more information contact:
Last modified: 2008-07-29 14:07:33