New imaging centre opens at Diamond Light Source
6 Sep 2016 by Evoluted New Media
A new centre for the research of nanoscale materials has been opened at the Diamond Light Source synchrotron in Oxfordshire.
The electron Physical Science Imaging Centre (ePSIC) is a collaboration between the University of Oxford, Diamond Light Source and an industry partner. It will contain two new electron microscopes with a resolution of 0.5 Angstroms to provide scientists with atomic level images for a wide array of materials.Professor Andrew Harrison, CEO at Diamond, said: “Diamond is a world-leading centre for visualising physical and biological materials at the atomic and molecular level and it makes sense to complement our capabilities with electron microscopy. Information gained will give us microscopic properties and valuable insight into the electronic structure of materials, strength and much more.
“The centre will be opened to all and will operate like our beamlines, through both academic peer review and proprietary access. As a result, the Diamond synchrotron will become the first in the world to house such a complementary set of techniques.”
The information scientists will gain from using the microscopes will be used to develop smart enhanced materials for use in consumer technology, engineering and future transportation. In addition another centre, the electron Bio-Imaging Centre, inside the ePSIC, will provide similar tools for cryo-electron microscopy research into biological matter, such as viruses and bacteria.Diamond Light Source partnered with the University of Oxford and Johnson Matthey to create the microscopes. Funding for ePSIC included contributions from the Wellcome Trust and the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council.
