Synchrotron: what it is and why it’s getting $3.3M in Fed funding

SASKATOON< Sask.—Saskatoon's synchrotron will receive a major upgrade thanks to a $3.3-million investment announced by the federal government. The funding will pay for upgrades to a beamline at the Canadian Light Source. The beamline produces high-intensity X-rays that are used to determine the 3-D structures of proteins. Knowing the shapes of proteins allows researchers to develop new drugs and therapies. Karen Chad, vice-president of research at the University of Saskatchewan, says the funding will support cutting-edge academic and industrial research. Since starting up in 2005, CLS has hosted over 2,500 researchers, delivered more than 40,000 experimental shifts and provided a scientific service critical in more than 1,500 publications. (From Global Saskatoon)