-Press Release Number: PR-AS-09-3-80H
-Source: Australian Synchrotron
-Date issued: April 28, 2009
-Contact: Jennifer Cook, +61 3 8540 4194, Jennifer.Cook@synchrotron.org.au; Steve Gower, +61 3 85404109, steve.gower@synchrotron.org.au

$14.7 million extension to medical research at the Australian Synchrotron

Facilities to enable research into faster detection and improved treatment of cancer will be significantly enhanced at the new Imaging and Medical facility (IM) at the Australian Synchrotron.

Construction of a major expansion to the IM facility is underway thanks to a $13.2 million grant from the NH&MRC to fund additional research instruments, laboratories and clinical facilities. A further $1.5 million from the Victorian Government will contribute to the building extension that will house the equipment.

Researchers will use the facility for high resolution imaging of tissue, including the identification of tumours. Ultimately, researchers aim to use the facility for single cell imaging and tracking. This will shine light on the biochemical and biomedical processes involved in cancer development and many other diseases.

“Standard hospital X-ray imaging and CT cannot see things much smaller than 0.5 mm ” says Daniel Häusermann, Imaging and Medical Beamline Scientist at the Australian Synchrotron. “With this facility, we are aiming to see 10 to 50 times smaller. The more we can see, the more we can understand how tumours grow and develop”.

“The expanded facility will be the most advanced instrument of its type in the world. It will bring together pioneering synchrotron researchers, biomedical researchers and medical practitioners. Together, they will advance research in significant health areas such as cancer and cardiovascular diseases”, says Daniel.

Research using the IMBL will place Australia at the cutting edge to take these new technologies into real clinical environments and ultimately, improve health outcomes for Australians.

• High resolution imaging of cells and tissues, from detailed examinations of tumours to the fine structural details of lungs;
   
• Tracking studies to follow the movements of cells labelled with small marker particles through tissues and organs in real time;
   
• Research in the interaction of radiation with cancer and healthy cells to improve the prescription of radiotherapy treatments.
   

“This is going to be a huge enabling tool for both the research and clinical communities. It’s going to change the way we detect and treat disease, especially cancer, and give us unique insights into physiology and general functions of the body,” says Ian Smith, Deputy Dean of Research in Monash University’s Faculty of Medicine.

Smith led the funding application initiative on behalf of a consortium of research associations and users. He praised Australia’s biomedical and medical research community for their strong support of the facility.

Professor Robert Lamb, Director of the Australian Synchrotron said the enhancements will make a significant impact on health research in Australia.

“This will enable us to see much more than ever before. With existing imaging technology, scientists cannot see the early signs of tumour formation. With this new Synchrotron-based technology, minute changes in tissue development will become visible. It is like going from a grainy black and white television to a 3-D high resolution flat screen!”

###

Background on the Imaging and Medical Beamline Facility

What does the new facility include?

The Imaging and Medical Beamline is being constructed in two stages.

Stage 1 will be completed this year using $10M funds that were allocated under the initial beamline funding program. It is a basic research facility with limited instrumentation and a beam transfer tunnel terminating in a satellite building.

Stage 2 will upgrade the facility to position Australia at the forefront of this new field and propel a new generation of techniques for medical imaging and radiotherapy. These will include high-resolution imaging and radiotherapies for pre-clinical research and later the full implementation of clinical research programmes. Integrated support facilities for tissue and cell preparation are included, as well a medical suite for the clinical programmes. The facility is scheduled to be completed in 2012 with the licensing of clinical programmes.

A Centre of Excellence for biomedical imaging is implanted on the property adjacent to the Imaging and Medical Beamline. It will provide complementary imaging technologies such as MRI and PET for pre-clinical research.

• conduct unrivalled phase-contrast imaging on humans. The long distance between the X-ray source and the subject will enhance the visibility of fine structural details in internal organs such as lungs;
• produce 3D images of the deep seated tumours and blood vessels;
• perform high resolution dynamic imaging of blood flow, which will lead to a better understanding of the causes of small vessel diseases such as ischaemic heart disease, diabetes and hypertension;
• tag cells for easier tracking within organs and humans. This will enable early detection of tumours, tracking of labelled stem cells through tissues and organs, and even analysis of the movement of air, blood and immune particles in the living body;
• perform research in mammography with increased tissue sensitivity and resolution;
• establish pre-clinical and clinical studies of lung diseases from neonates to adults;
• research the interaction of cells with radiation to improve the quality of radiotherapy treatments;
• develop new radiation therapy techniques and initiate clinical trials;

The facility is designed for pre-clinical research and clinical research with patients, but not for routine screening or therapy

• development of new X-ray optics for imaging;
• 3D imaging of fossils and precambrian ambers containing insects;
• studies of stresses and strains to better understand metal fatigue leading to failure of engineering components such as train wheels and tracks, bridges, turbine blades and concrete structures;
• imaging of integrated circuits in working electronic components without disassembly;

Who is the consortium behind the facility?

• the Association of Australian Medical Research Institutes (AAMRI);
• Medical Deans Australia and New Zealand;
• Go8 Deputy Vice-Chancellors (Research) committee;
• Universities Australia;
• the Australian Society for Medical Research (ASMR);
• the Australian Synchrotron;
• the Victorian Oncology Group;
• Melbourne Health;
• CSIRO

[Note: The contents of all materials on lightsources.org are the sole responsibility of the authors of the materials and/or the facilities or institutions under whose auspices the materials were produced. -lightsources.org]

Share this page:

Email this page