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The Australian Synchrotron at Clayton.Credit: ANSTO \/ Supplied<\/p>\n
About 10 per cent of the synchrotron\u2019s 150 staff face losing their jobs, the scientists\u2019 union, Professionals Australia, estimates.<\/p>\n
\u201cThese beamlines primarily support fundamental science that gets done across Australia. And that fundamental science translates to solving research problems related to industry \u2013 it translates to Nobel Prize-winning discoveries,\u201d said Professor Christopher Sumby, president of the Society of Crystallographers.<\/p>\n
Among other research projects, the synchrotron is being used to study metal-organic frameworks, artificial crystals with extraordinary properties. Robson invented them in 1989<\/a>, but researchers are only now starting to realise their potential as super-sponges<\/a>, capable of sucking PFAS from water \u2013 or even CO2 from the atmosphere.<\/p>\n The hope was that Australia could be at the forefront of commercialising Robson\u2019s discovery, a dream boosted by the bestowing of the Nobel Prize this month.<\/p>\n Science Minister Tim Ayres lauded the win on LinkedIn as \u201ca tribute to the effectiveness and capability of Australia\u2019s research sector\u201d and \u201cthe sort of research that advances the Albanese Government\u2019s Future Made in Australia agenda\u201d.<\/p>\n Loading<\/p>\n Brendan Abrahams heard about his colleague\u2019s Nobel win while news about the closures was still rippling through Australia\u2019s scientific community.<\/p>\n \u201cThe irony is we have this great achievement of Australian science \u2013 and we\u2019re cutting beamlines at the synchrotron,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re so reliant on advanced technology to characterise new materials. If we don\u2019t have that capability, I think it certainly sets us back. We are no longer at the forefront.\u201d<\/p>\n The Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation is also proposing to close a program funding local scientists to use international synchrotrons \u2013 meaning they would have no local or international access.<\/p>\n In documents released to staff, ANSTO described the changes as \u201csustainability measures\u201d. The cuts are out for consultation, with a final decision to be made in December.<\/p>\n The proposed cuts drew a scathing reaction from the former head of the Lucas Heights neutron-scattering facility Professor Robert Robinson, who authored a stinging letter to Ayres on Tuesday decrying \u201clong-standing failures in ANSTO\u2019s unrelated nuclear medicine business\u201d, \u201ca long story of mismanagement\u201d and \u201ca fattening up of ANSTO\u2019s unproductive centralised bureaucracy\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cNo other nuclear organisation around the world is run by such a group of amateurs,\u201d he wrote in the letter, obtained by this masthead.<\/p>\n Professor Marta Krasowska, past-chair of one of the synchrotron\u2019s beamline advisory committees, described the potential closures as \u201ca devastating blow to Australian science \u2013 one that cannot be undone\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cThe potential closure represents irreparable damage to Australia\u2019s scientific capability and our ability to tackle the challenges that matter most to our future.\u201d<\/p>\n Loading<\/p>\n The synchrotron is in the middle of a $100 million expansion to add eight new beamlines.<\/p>\n Federal funding for ANSTO has been increasing since at least 2016-17, from $312 million to $676 million in this year\u2019s budget.<\/p>\n The organisation is building a new nuclear medicine facility and nuclear waste-processing facility at Lucas Heights and expanding the capabilities of several instruments housed there.<\/p>\n A spokeswoman for the agency said it was \u201ccommitted to supporting long-term financial stability. To achieve this, the organisation has proposed changes to its capabilities, instruments, activities and staffing requirements, among other measures\u201d.<\/p>\n Credit: Matt Golding<\/p>\n \u201cThe outcome will be a stronger and more focused organisation,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Ayres\u2019 office said he was aware of the cuts.<\/p>\n Professor Michael Preuss, president of the Australian Neutron Beam Users Group, argued in a letter sent to ANSTO\u2019s executive that the beamline facilities were crucial for reaching net zero and supporting other national goals in defence and manufacturing.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s no instrument which deserves to be shut down. They\u2019re all performing at a world-class level,\u201d Preuss said. \u201cThat\u2019s evident from the fact that at least 50 per cent of the users actually come from overseas.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/cf041855a0586cbb3fe182aca419cb11544d1857.jpeg\")
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