Australian Synchrotron

Lighting the path to innovation

Located in Melbourne, the Australian Synchrotron is a $206 million facility that will transform Australia's scientific and industrial research capacity.

A synchrotron is a large, powerful machine (about the size of a football field) that creates high intensity light. The light is used in scientific experiments across a broad range of sciences and industries, including -

• Agriculture
• Food technology
• Environment
• Minerals and energy
• New materials
• Manufacturing
• Medical technology and biological sciences
• Micro- and nano- technology
• Information and communications technology (ICT)
• Defence
• Forensics
• Archaeology and conservation

Synchrotrons have been used in research as diverse as making better chocolate, developing more absorbent nappies, designing new medicines such as anti-flu drugs and anti-infammatories, helping jet engines last longer and even solving the mystery of Beethoven’s death and deafness

The State Government of Victoria has contributed $157 million for the Australian Synchrotron building and machine. A consortium of project partners are funding the ‘beamlines’ – tubes that capture the light and where experiments are conducted.