We warmly invite you to join our free online symposium
– 75 years of science with synchrotron light –
to mark 75 Years since the 1st observation of synchrotron light in a laboratory
This anniversary event has been organised by Lightsources.org, the international collaboration of 24 synchrotrons and 7 Free Electron Lasers, with support from Diamond Light Source, the UK’s synchrotron science facility.
On the 28th April 2022, we will bring together a panel of light source experts to give short talks on their perspectives on synchrotron light related achievements that have been made since the 1st laboratory observation on the 24th April 1947. This virtual event will also explore what the future holds for synchrotron science thanks to upgrades and new facilities.
Through this event, we aim to inspire early career scientists, engineers, technicians, computer scientists, science communicators etc who are currently working, or may be interested in, light source related jobs in the future.
Register here: Celebrating 75 Years of Science with Synchrotron Light Tickets, Thu 28 Apr 2022 at 15:00 | Eventbrite
Where – Virtual event via Zoom
When – Thursday 28th April 15:00 – 16:15 UTC +1 (75 Years in 75 minutes!)
Format – A series of talks (10 mins each) covering the history and some of the highlights from the field followed by Q&A and time for sharing your #My1stLight memories.
Speakers and agenda (all timings in UK time zone UTC+1)
Welcome & Introductions: Sandra Ribeiro, Chair of lightsources.org & Communications Advisor, Canadian Light Source
Historical introduction: From 1st observation to 2022 – Roland Pease, BBC presenter/freelance science writer/presenter
Highlights from the field
Professor Ada Yonath, Leader of the Ribosome Group, Structural Biology Dept, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
Prof. Ada Yonath (along with Thomas Steitz and Venkatraman Ramakrishnan) won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2009 for studies of the structure and function of the ribosome. In 1968, she obtained her PhD from the Weizmann Institute of Science for X-ray crystallographic studies on the structure of collagen. In the 1970s, Ada began a project that culminated in 2000 in the successful mapping of the structure of ribosomes, which consist of hundreds of thousands of atoms, using x-ray crystallography. Among other applications, this has been important in the production of antibiotics. For enabling ribosomal crystallography, Ada introduced a novel technique, cryo bio-crystallography, which became routine in structural biology and allowed intricate projects otherwise considered formidable.
Dr Gihan Kamel, SESAME’s Infrared Beamline Principal Scientist/Team Supervisor, on leave from the Physics Department, Faculty of Science, Helwan University, Cairo, Egypt, where she is a lecturer in biophysics.
In 2015, Dr Gihan Kamel took up the position of the Infrared Beamline Scientist at SESAME in Allan (Jordan). Gihan is also involved in the preparatory phases for the establishment of the African Light Source (AfLS). She is noted for her lectures on science for peace and science diplomacy, as well as women in science. Gihan was acknowledged at the International Women’s Day 2017 by the President of the Italian Republic for her engagement at SESAME. In 2020, she was indicated 2020 Laureate of Eureka Prize of the French organization, amcsti (The professional network of scientific, technical and industrial cultures).
Professor Henry Chapman, leader of the Coherent X-Ray Imaging division at the Center for Free Electron Laser Science at DESY in Hamburg
Henry Chapman pioneered Serial Femtosecond X-ray Crystallography, which, among other things, makes it possible to explore the spatial structure of sensitive biological molecules with atomic precision even under near-functional conditions. The first experimental proof that this technique works was provided by Chapman and his colleagues at DESY’s free-electron laser FLASH. Chapman has received many honours for his groundbreaking research, including the Leibniz Prize, an honorary doctorate from the University of Uppsala, and the Röntgen medal from the city of Remscheid, the birthplace of Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen. Henry is a Fellow of The Royal Society.
Dr Paul Tafforeau, Beamline Scientist for BM18 and ESRF coordinator of the Human Organ Atlas project, European Synchrotron Radiation Facility in Grenoble
Usually in charge of palaeontology, but working now on human organs X-ray imaging on beamline BM18. Paul is part of The Human Organ Atlas project, an international team that has used HiP-CT to scan the organs of COVID-19 victims, including their lungs, brains. HiP-CT scans can zoom in from a whole-organ scan to provide a cellular view of regions of interest, giving a new insight to understand human diseases.
Professor Sir Richard Catlow, Department of Chemistry, University College London
Richard Catlow first became aware of the potential of synchrotron radiation for his science in the late 1970s when his research programme had a strong focus on disordered ionic materials—both halides and oxides—for applications in solid-state electrochemistry. Today, his research exploits the latest developments in computational technology, used in direct conjunction with experiments (especially employing synchrotron X-ray and neutron scattering techniques). The aim is to model and predict the properties of complex materials at the atomic and molecular level and advance fundamental knowledge in the rapidly developing field of contemporary chemistry. Richard was Foreign Secretary of the Royal Society from 2016 until 2021.
