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:
Matthew Dalzell |
Campbel Giles State Government of Victoria 9651 5799 or 0407 972 900 www.vic.gov.au Australian Synchroton: http://www.synchrotron.org.au/ |
Last modified: 2012-01-19 17:01:55