SILVANA DAMERELL says Oxfordshire's super-microscope on target for 2007

Scientific research in the UK is set for a huge boost next year when Diamond Light Source, which is being built on the Harwell science and innovation campus, starts experiments that will answer a myriad of questions about the world around us.

Earlier this month, scientists at Diamond reached a milestone when they generated the first beams of synchrotron light, which is ten billion times brighter than the sun and 100 billion times brighter than the standard x-ray machines in hospitals. This is how bright Diamond's synchrotron light will be, so producing the first glimpse is understandably a cause for celebration.

The successful generation of this very special light represents the culmination of a great deal of hard work by a large number of people over a long period of time. It means that the machine is forecast to begin operating early next year.

"Diamond is more than just a machine," said Gerhard Materlik, chief executive officer of Diamond Light Source. "We are creating a vibrant research base, together with the academic community and industry, enabling us to deliver excellent and high-quality science to benefit generations to come.

"In fact, the concept of scientific collaboration is embodied in the design of Diamond itself. The building contains not only the synchrotron machine, but also a variety of laboratory and office space that will encourage interaction within the user community, fostering creative relationships and permitting the sharing of ideas and innovation."

Diamond is housed inside a vast futuristic doughnut-shaped building, covering the area of five football pitches and represents the largest investment in science for over 30 years.

Diamond can be thought of as a series of 'super-microscopes' that will allow scientists to visualise the structure of matter down to the size atoms and molecules and will have applications across all areas of science from medicine to environmental studies, from material science to nanotechnology.

The help Diamond will offer is wide ranging: Health: Through a better understanding of disease and drugs we can design medicines that are more effective in combating illnesses.

The environment: By studying chemical reactions we can identify the best ways of cleaning up polluted rivers and water supplies around the world. Diamond can help us improve the efficiency of catalytic converters in cars, which, in turn, will lead to cleaner air.

Transport: Components in cars and airplanes are at risk from cracks and corrosion through frequent use. Researchers at Diamond will be able to study these components with a view to improving performance.

Knowledge of the earth: By recreating the extreme pressures and temperatures of the earth's core we can enhance our knowledge of the properties of the materials that lie within our planet.

Historical knowledge: Many unanswered questions about important artefacts can be investigated using synchrotron light and the objects will remain undamaged.

This page is co-ordinated by The Oxford Trust.