Over 3000 keen to use synchrotron

At least 3000 scientists from Australia, New Zealand and South Africa will be lining up to use the Australian Synchrotron when it opens for business in 2007, according to a report released this week by the project.

The National Science Case for the Initial Suite of Beamlines Volume 2: Potential Beamline users of the Australian Synchrotron lists 2998 potential users, had registered interest from 450 principle investigators and their research teams as of May 2004, and more users are expected to be added to the list as the capabilities of synchrotron techniques become more widely known.

Victoria's Innovation minister John Brumby said the facility was shaping up to be truly national. Scientists from all six states plus the ACT have expressed interest in using the synchrotron, which will initially provide up to 13 beamlines with applications ranging from protein crystallography and spectroscopic analysis to medical imaging and lithographic manufacturing.