Investment Of Nearly £520 Million! This UK Synchrotron Light Source Will Be Upgraded

Recently, the UK's national synchrotron "Diamond Light Source" announced an investment of nearly £520 million ($648.3 million) to implement three new flagship beamlines and upgrade existing beamlines. This comprehensive upgrade will be delivered in 2030.
The U.K. Department for Science, Innovation, and Technology (DSI) and biomedical charity Wellcome approved the facility upgrade. The £520 million funding is 86% from the UK government and 14% from the Wellcome Foundation.

The Diamond Light Source gas pedal in Oxford, UK, is essentially a giant microscope that produces light 10 billion times brighter than the sun, which is channeled into laboratories known as beamlines, where research is carried out in a range of scientific fields.
It is 10,000 times more powerful than a conventional microscope and, in addition to groundbreaking medical discoveries, it is vital for studying a range of topics, including fragments of ancient paintings and fossils, while finding solutions to extend the life of machinery such as engines and turbine blades.
The new fourth-generation synchrotron will support a growing user base of researchers while maintaining the UK's position as a world leader in cutting-edge science.
The multi-year Diamond- ii upgrade is part of the complete Diamond Light Source Upgrade Program and will include an 18-month 'dark period' when all beams will be inactive, followed by a period of full activation of the new facility, including three new flagships This will be followed by a period of full activation of the new facility, including three new flagship beamlines and major upgrades to many other beamlines. In addition to the Diamond- ii program, the plan will cover new equipment to replace the synchrotron machine, enabling it to produce brighter light, as well as new computing hardware and software.
"Advances in gas pedal technology mean that Diamond- ii will provide the scientific community in academia and industry with the opportunity to develop brighter beams and increased coherence across the large energy range of all our beamlines and additional beamlines," said Diamond Light Source's Chairman of the Board and President of the Royal Society, Adrian Smith, said. In addition, the upgrade is expected to open the way for materials research and accelerated drug development, as well as real-time insights into processes such as advanced manufacturing and the performance of next-generation batteries, Diamond Light Source's grant announcement said.