10th Anniversary
Mar 27, 2012
Ten years of Diamond
Diamond, the UK’s national synchrotron science facility and one of Oxfordshire’s flagship science institutes, was formed a decade ago, on the 27th March 2002, when the Wellcome Trust and the UK Government signed the Joint Venture Agreement and Diamond Light Source Ltd was born.
To celebrate this 10th Anniversary milestone and join in with Her Majesty’s Diamond Jubilee Celebrations, Diamond is asking local people in Oxfordshire, “What were you doing on the 27th March 2002?” If this date is a special one for you because you were born on this day, or were married on it, then Diamond would like to hear from you. This is so that you and your family can be special guests at one of the Inside Diamond public open days that are being held in June 2012.
Diamond is also calling on any couples in Oxfordshire who are celebrating their Diamond wedding anniversary in 2012 as they will also receive a special invitation to visit the science facility where light that is a billion times brighter than the sun is used by scientists who are investigating everything from how to treat serious diseases more effectively to how to meet the planets energy needs in a more environmentally friendly way.
To register as a special guest, please e-mail [email protected] or call 01235 778639.
Gerd Materlik, Diamond’s Chief Executive, comments, “It’s been a real honour to lead this project and be part of a team who in less than five years got the facility constructed as well as up and running for scientific users and all this on time, on budget and to specifications. The following five years were spent delivering science as well as building up the next Phase of construction. We have achieved around 1600 scientific publications so far and over 3,000 researchers are now making up the user community. With a team of 430 strong, Diamond is now on the way to deliver its full potential.”Above right: The Diamond directors and Chairman (L-R: Richard Walker, Technical Director; Andy Akerman, Finance Director; Lord Broers, Chairman; Gerd Materlik, Chief Executive; Trevor Rayment, Physical Sciences Director; Dave Stuart, Life Sciences Director
For its 10th birthday, Diamond has launched a blog www.diamond10.org where everyone who has had a connection to the project can contribute and leave their perspectives. It’s also where anyone new to Diamond can find some useful facts and background to the project. Diamond will continue 2012 celebrating its 10th anniversary with a Special Series of ‘Inside Diamond’- open days which will run from 16th to 20th June. These events will be ticketed and more information is available at www.diamond.ac.uk/Home/Events/InsideDiamond
“Looking back over the past 10 years, there have been many challenges and achievements. People we lost, talents we gained, challenges we have faced… and in the midst of these remaining focused on our vision to be a leading edge facility for scientific research, supporting a wide range of users from both academia and industry, thereby delivering benefits to the UK society and economy.”Gerd Materlik, Diamond’s Chief Executive
The latest achievements include the Oxford University’s world leading biomolecular biology department’s solving of the Enterovirus 71 (EV71) - a major agent of hand, foot and mouth disease in children that can cause severe central nervous system disease and death. This Virus is a serious public health threat in the Asia South Pacific region and this achievement opens new opportunities for therapies being developed.
As Diamond serves the whole of the UK, many more are being added to Diamond’s list of successes. Other scientific highlights include; gaining a better understanding of hypertension in the pre-natal condition pre-eclampsia, learning how earthworms can help clean up contaminated land, understanding the link between trace metals in the brain and Alzheimer’s Disease, helping to preserve the Tudor warship the Mary Rose, and revealing the mechanism used by HIV to attack the body.
Diamond Light Source is the UK's national synchrotron science facility, located at the Harwell Science and Innovation Campus in Oxfordshire.
Diamond Light Source Ltd
Diamond House
Harwell Science & Innovation Campus
Didcot
Oxfordshire
OX11 0DE
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Registered in England and Wales at Diamond House, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot, Oxfordshire, OX11 0DE, United Kingdom. Company number: 4375679. VAT number: 287 461 957. Economic Operators Registration and Identification (EORI) number: GB287461957003.