Opportunities and rewards for researchers at the Australian Synchrotron

Two Australian Synchrotron (AS) users are among the 12 winners of the prestigious Victoria Fellowships for 2012.

Dr William Gee, a synthetic chemist from Monash University, received a Victoria Fellowship for his work towards the development of cheaper and greener plastic products. Dr Gee’s research focuses on the creation of new catalysts that will enable new products to be made from relatively simple materials, or convert toxic waste into less-hazardous materials.

David Ascher, a structural biologist at St Vincent’s Institute of Medical Research, received a Victoria Fellowship for his investigations of the potential for developing drugs that bind to non-functional parts of proteins. This work is at the forefront of anticancer drug design. Dr Ascher is a PhD student at The University of Melbourne and a member of the AS user advisory committee, an independent group that provides advice to AS management on issues that affect synchrotron users.

Both scientists use synchrotron X-ray crystallography, a technique now regarded as essential in many areas of biomedical and industrial research, including the development of new pharmaceuticals and advanced materials.

Australian Synchrotron Head of Science Professor Andrew Peele congratulated them on their awards.

“David Ascher and William Gee are young researchers with bright futures. We’re proud to be able to offer them and their counterparts across Victoria and Australasia the opportunity to use the state-of-the-art techniques available at the Australian Synchrotron,” he said.

On 29 and 30 November, scientists will attend the annual AS user meeting in Melbourne to learn about the latest synchrotron techniques from national and international experts and swap ideas with other researchers.