Elettra designated an IAEA collaborating center
A collaborating center agreement was signed by Elettra Sincrotrone Trieste and the International Atomic Energy Agency in May. The agreement focuses on advanced light sources and will support countries in research, development, and capacity building in the application of advanced and innovative radiation technologies.
The Elettra-Sincrotrone research facility, located in Trieste, Italy, in May became the 44th member of the IAEA Collaborating Centers network. Photo: Elettra-Sincrotrone Trieste
Elettra info: Elettra is a multidisciplinary international research organization based in Trieste, Italy, that has worked with the IAEA for more than 15 years. It specializes in generating synchrotron and free-electron laser light and applying it in a wide range of research fields, including materials and life science.
More details: The agreement has a much broader scope than past partnerships between the entities. It includes the design of light sources, beamlines, and optics. Elettra will provide assistance to developing countries planning to build or improve their own synchrotron facilities by training scientists and technologists in key areas.
Elettra is also contributing to COVID-19 research, giving priority to experiments related to SARS-CoV-2 viral proteins and studies of possible drugs for viral infection treatment. Researchers from around the globe will be able to obtain remote access to Elettra/FERMI beamlines and perform experiments on a priority basis on the topic.
Previous partnership agreements have focused primarily on the XRF beamline, developing new hardware and analytical methods, and have supported training and access to that facility.
They said it: “Elettra has a long history of collaboration with the IAEA and has already produced excellent results in fields ranging from air pollution to ovarian tumors,” said IAEA Deputy Director General Najat Mokhtar, head of the Department of Nuclear Sciences and Applications. “This new agreement will benefit developing member states through its broad focus on advanced light sources, including the free electron laser, FERMI.”
