What are they used for?

Around the world, synchrotrons have been used in a wide range of research applications.

In essence, synchrotrons are a powerful tool for probing the structure and behaviour of matter at the atomic and molecular level, leading to breakthroughs in diverse fields and contributing to our understanding of the world around us.

Our case studies describe some of the research that has been conducted by New Zealand scientists in the last few years using the Australian Synchrotron.

Medical research and drug discovery

Drug development: Development of many drugs such as Tamiflu to treat influenza, and Paxlovid to treat COVID-19.

Understanding disease: Revealing the structure of proteins and viruses to better understand disease and targets for drug development.

Cancer research: Revealing the structures and function of proteins involved in cancer, to help develop new therapies.

Surgical materials: Synthesis of surgical tissues from non-human sources.

Materials science and engineering

Corrosion research: Understanding the early stages of corrosion in pipelines, leading to the development of more corrosion-resistant materials.

Battery technology: Used to study the structure and behaviour of materials, helping to improve the performance of batteries. Identifying alternative sources of rare earth elements for electronics.

Material properties: Revealing the properties of plastics, helping to optimize their strength and other characteristics for various applications.

Primary industries and environment

Improved primary products: Understanding the structure of natural products such as wool and leather, and of economically important plants and animals, and development of biopesticides.

Environmental impacts, monitoring and remediation: Synchrotrons have been used to monitor the air quality at Ground Zero after the 9/11 attacks, assess volcanic eruptions, and how to isolate and remove nutrients from waterways.

Archaeology and palaeontology

Fossil analysis: Synchrotron tomography has allowed researchers to create detailed 3D images of fossils without damaging them, revealing new information about ancient organisms.

Dinosaur Discoveries: Synchrotron imaging has supported the discovery of new dinosaur species in Australia, rewriting our understanding of their evolutionary history.

Culture and history

Degradation of historic materials: Synchrotrons have helped scientists study the degradation of the Dead Sea Scrolls.

Composition of art materials: Used to analyse pigments, materials, and artifacts to understand their composition and history, aiding in conservation efforts. A synchrotron was used to reveal an overpainted Degas work without damaging the artwork.

Earth science

Volcanology: Understanding magma behaviour, investigating crystal growth and deformation and analysing chemical composition.

Climate change: Understanding past climate changes in the geological record to assist in predicting future responses.

Extraterrestrial life: Detecting the possibility of life on Mars by assessing geochemical signals from hot springs.

What have New Zealand researchers been doing?

Read about some of the ground-breaking research that our scientists have been working on.

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