SAXS on the ABC: 9 June 2010

The New Inventors television program on ABC-1 on Wednesday 9 June at 8pm (check local papers to confirm screening time) featured the work of Veronica James, one of our long-term users. Veronica discovered the synchrotron SAXS method used to identify breast cancer from hair samples, and is now developing similar methods for other biological samples and health conditions. Watch out for cameo appearances from some of the SAXS beamline team!
http://www.abc.net.au/tv/newinventors/txt/s2919200.htm

Arsenic and Toenails

The Catalyst television program on ABC1 recently broadcast an item about Dora Pearce using synchrotron techniques to investigate arsenic levels in the toenails of children living in the Ballarat area on arsenic. Although the work was done overseas before the Australian Synchrotron was built, the AS features in the clip, with footage shot on several beamlines here last year. Dora Pearce is no longer at the University of Ballarat, but will still be involved (as a University of Ballarat research associate) in some follow-up work, which may take place at the AS later this year. Clip and transcript of the 11 March 2010 Catalyst program are available on the ABC website.
http://www.abc.net.au/catalyst/stories/2843289.htm

Arsenic and Phar Lap

It’s now in the scientific literature: famous racehorse Phar Lap received a large dose of arsenic in the hours before his death, as revealed by synchrotron analysis of hair from his preserved hide. The work by Ivan Kempson (then at the Ian Wark Research Institute, University of South Australia) and Dermot Henry from Museum Victoria has been published in Angewandte Chemie International Edition.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/anie.200906594
http://www.physorg.com/news192178886.html

New Discovery could stop cancer in its track

US scientists have reported the discovery of new anti-cancer agents that stop cancer cells spreading from their original site. The Weill Cornell Medical College Team used synchrotron x-ray crystallography at Brookhaven National Laboratory’s National Synchrotron Light Source to reveal how the new anti-cancer agent actually works. The spread of cancer (a process called tumour metastasis) is the primary cause of death for cancer patients.
http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v464/n7291/abs/nature08978.html
http://www.bnl.gov/bnlweb/pubaf/pr/PR_display.asp?prID=1117

Australopithecus may have brains

The skull of a new species of human ancestor may contain traces of preserved brain tissue, according to x-ray synchrotron microtomography studies at the ESRF. The skeletal remains were discovered by Prof. Lee Berger of the University of the Witwatersrand (South Africa) and analysed at ESRF with the assistance of Paul Tafforeau, who visited Melbourne last year for the SRI 2009 conference.
http://www.esrf.eu/news/general/first-studies-of-fossil-of-new-human-ancestor-take-place-at-the-esrf/

Honour for John Boldeman

Dr John Boldeman, who played a key role in the establishment of the Australian Synchrotron, has been honoured with a special Lifetime Contribution award in the 2010 ATSE Clunies Rosss awards. The award acknowledged John’s “single-minded scientific brilliance combined with exceptional personal commitment to his goals – particularly in the establishment of two national icon projects: the ANTARES Tandem Accelerator and the Australian Synchrotron”.
http://http://www.atse.org.au/news/latest-news/147-australias-visionary-innovators-honoured

Synchrotron Kiwis feature on Maori TV

The 411 program on Maori TV featured an interview with synchrotron staff members Brad Mountford and Tom Caradoc-Davies on 14 May 2010.
http://www.maoritelevision.com/Default.aspx?tabid=224&progid=535&epid=10155