Australian Innovation System Report 2012 Compendium of Program Updates

AUSTRALIAN NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY ORGANISATION (ANSTO)

ANSTOs Graduate Development Program

ANSTO’s Graduate Development Program continues to grow. Over 75 percent of graduates from the first intake four years ago have been retained, including three who have since commenced PhDs whilst remaining with ANSTO. Similarly, 21 out of the 24 graduates from the 2011 intake have been retained. 24 graduates have been recruited for the third intake and will commence work in January 2013.

Building a new generation of experts in nuclear technology is crucial to building an Australian workforce with the necessary skills required for the increasing use of nuclear techniques in medicine, climate change and industry. No Australian university offers a degree in nuclear engineering, and as home of Australia’s only nuclear research reactor, ANSTO is the only place for Australians to gain skills in many areas of nuclear science.

The challenging and multidisciplinary nature of nuclear science and technology allows for the creation of a flexible and responsive workforce that can enter into other fields such as the petrochemical industry, general engineering, defence, health and medicine, environmental science and government advisory roles. In this way, the program is helping address Australian skill shortages across a number of disciplines.

Website for further information:

/www.ansto.gov.au/discovering_ansto/careers_at_ansto/graduate_development_program

Australian Environmental Radioactivity Measurement Centre

Built from materials with ultra-low background radiation levels, ANSTO’s new state-of-the-art Environmental Radioactivity Measurement Centre is allowing Australian scientists for the first time to detect tiny amounts of radiation that would normally be lost amongst background radiation.

The new facility will ensure ANSTO scientists can continue their work as world leaders in carbon dating and will help them better understand some of the world’s most pressing environmental issues. For example, the building is able to house Australia’s only ITRAX Corescanner which can be used to reconstruct the environment and climate change history of a particular area by analysing sediment cores and tree ring samples.

This data enables scientists to sort human-induced climate change from natural change and understand the impact of land and water management practices. This understanding will aid the development of more sustainable practices and in turn help conserve our environment.

The centre was officially opened on 24 April 2012 and is attracting scientists from universities and research organisations right across Australia. Many of the Centre’s world-class instruments, including the ITRAX Corescanner, were purchased through joint projects between ANSTO, the Australian Institute of Nuclear Science and Engineering (AINSE) and a number of universities across Australia. Usage time on the instruments is allocated by the AINSE committee.

A new era for Australian biomedical research and imaging: The National Imaging Facility Research Cyclotron

In December 2011, a new $25 million National Imaging Facility (NIF) Research Cyclotron for biomedical imaging was opened at Camperdown in Sydney.

The facility is the product of collaboration between the University of Sydney and ANSTO, and comprises:

• 
  A new cyclotron dedicated to biomedical research. A cyclotron makes radioisotopes for molecular imaging – enabling scientists and doctors to better see inside the body and help find the causes of illness;
  
• 
  Connected to the cyclotron is Australia’s most advanced radiolabeling facility that will enable the development of molecular probes that scientists can use to measure molecules and proteins in the body with staggering sensitivity.
  
• 
  State of the art biomedical imaging laboratories are located nearby at the University of Sydney’s Brain and Mind Research Institute. The labs are equipped with multi-modality preclinical and clinical scanners that use molecular probes to measure specific biological functions related to disease. A high performance computing platform then provides advanced imaging analysis and modeling.
  

More than 30 scientists will work under the partnership, developing new research techniques and studying diseases involving the brain including mental illness, neurological disorders, cancer and obesity.

The Centre will be accessible to researchers from across Australia. In addition, the Centre will provide an international standard training facility for highly skilled imaging specialists, engineers and chemists.

BioGill

In early 2012, ground breaking water cleansing technology developed by ANSTO was successfully commercialised and sold to Australian clean-tech company, BioGill Environmental Pty Ltd.

The system has numerous industrial and environmental applications, including the treatment of grey water, sewage and wastewater for aquaculture, and food and beverage processing.

The technology is considered to have great potential for cleaning water on ships, offshore platforms and remote islands where protecting sensitive environments is essential.

ANSTO Minerals and Rare Earths

Demand for rare earths such as such lanthanum, neodymium, terbium and europium has increased dramatically in recent years due to their use in electronic devises such as mobile phones, MP3 players and cameras.

China currently supplies the vast majority of the world’s rare earths, but a number of Australian mining firms are looking to establish themselves in the market, particularly as worldwide shortages of some elements become a concern.

The boom in demand is being mirrored by the demand for experts from ANSTO Minerals to help companies extract and recover these valuable commodities. A team of 60 professional scientists and technicians with expertise in chemical engineering, metallurgy, mineralogy, chemistry, geology and radiation safety are sought out to solve problems.

For example, ANSTO currently hosts pilot processing plants for Australian-based rare earth companies including Alkane and Arafura. These pilot plants provide valuable information for establishing the feasibility of new rare earth mines, and the future product mix for them. ANSTO possess a range of modern analytical tools such as gamma spectrometry, radiochemistry, and delayed neutron counting that can make all the difference for miners seeking to understand how to treat their ores and create viable mines.

Neutron research facilities

Neutron scattering facilities at ANSTO allow scientists to see what X-rays cannot. Neutrons are used to see the internal structure of many classes of materials, thus helping scientists understand why materials have the properties that they do, and helping tailor new materials that suit specific needs.

For example, insulated rail joints (IRJs) are an integral part of any rail track system, as they spilt a continuous track into electrically isolated sections for signalling and easy detection of rail track damage. Hence, bonded IRJs are safety-critical components that must satisfy requirements for structural integrity as well as the isolation function for both railway signalling and track condition monitoring systems.

In heavy haul corridors in Australia and around the world, IRJs are periodically replaced due to accumulated damage in their railhead, often within 10-20 percent of the useful life of other rail components.

During 2011-12 scientists from ANSTO, The University of Wollongong and the Queensland University of Technology used neutron scattering to better understand how residual stress occurs and determine the most appropriate rail maintenance and replacement schedules for safe and economic operation.

Research networks

ANSTO is connected with all Australian and New Zealand universities through the Australian Institute of Nuclear Science and Engineering (AINSE), providing researchers access to Australia’s nuclear science, technology and engineering expertise and landmark infrastructure which in turn, facilitates greater national science collaboration.

Australian Institute of Nuclear Science and Engineering

The Australian Institute of Nuclear Science and Engineering (AINSE) provides a mechanism for access to the facilities at ANSTO for universities and other tertiary institutions to provide a focus for cooperation in the nuclear scientific and engineering fields. Many of the techniques and much of the expertise at ANSTO cannot be found elsewhere in Australia. AINSE plays an indispensable role in providing universities with access to major scientific facilities and encouraging a national cooperative research effort. AINSE’s membership consists of over 40 Australian and New Zealand universities. In 2011, 268 research project grants were awarded and nearly 80 postgraduate scholars undertook research through AINSE.

Website for further information:

www.ainse.edu.au

Memoranda of Understanding

ANSTO has signed a number of Memoranda of Understanding to foster and strengthen collaborations with international research organisations including:

• 
  A partnership between ANSTO, the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research and Austin Health has resulted in a new state-of-the-art Positron Emission Tomography (PET) Solid Targetry Laboratory. The lab will enable researchers to pursue vital research into new nuclear imaging techniques to benefit patients affected by different types of cancers. The partnership will also provide a reliable and cost effective system for the production of long-lived PET radionuclides suitable for the radiolabeling of biomolecules for research and clinical imaging applications.
  
• 
  Australian patients will benefit from a new collaboration between ANSTO and US Radiopharmaceuticals (USR). Under the arrangement, USR will supply ANSTO with vital diagnostic imaging isotopes, single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) imaging, as well as disease specific biomarkers. This will provide a diversified supply of accelerator-based radioisotopes for Australian Hospitals. SPECT isotopes are not currently manufactured in Australian and under this collaboration will be produced at USR’s high-energy accelerator facility in Texas.
  
• 
  In late 2011, ANSTO signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Japanese Spring-8 Centre that will give Australian scientists access to a world leading fundamental physics facility, the MOU was signed on behalf of the Australian Collaboration for Accelerator Science (ACAS), meaning the benefits will extend to ANSTO’s ACAS partners, Melbourne University, Australian National University and the Australian Synchrotron.
  
• 
  The European Organisation for Nuclear Research (CERN) is one of the world’s largest centres for scientific research and is run by 20 European Member States, with many non-European countries also involved in different ways. CERN is the home of the world’s largest physics project and the gigantic circular accelerator, the Large Hadron Collider, which spans the Swiss-French border. The collaboration between CERN and ANSTO will involve research in areas such as accelerator science, health and life sciences and radiation detection. It will enable Australia to enhance its expertise in large-scale accelerator facilities and particle-therapy platforms. This engagement fits well with the Australian Collaboration for Accelerator Science.
  

One of ANSTO’s core functions is to act as a trusted adviser to Government. Such advice is provided to a range of government departments and agencies, first and foremost of which is DIISRTE. Leaving aside interactions with agencies such as the Department of Finance and Deregulation on machinery of government issues, the most significant agencies with which ANSTO liaise directly on policy issues are the:

• 
  Department of Resources, Energy and Tourism (DRET);
  
• 
  Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), including the Australian Safeguards and Non-Proliferation Office;
  
• 
  Department of Defence; and
  
• 
  Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA).
  

Discussions with all these agencies take place directly and via the Nuclear Agencies Consultative Committee (NACC) on which PM&C and SEWPaC are also represented. ANSTO also works directly with State Governments on particular issues such as health outcomes in areas of life sciences and cyclotron research.

Recent work with State government departments:

New South Wales Government

ANSTO provides air monitoring and reporting to the NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA). The work involves scientists and technicians monitoring air samples for particles, analysing them and reporting on their concentrations and origins. ANSTO has provided these services for New South Wales, Queensland and Victorian government departments in the past 15-20 years. In NSW, ANSTO is currently working on monitoring and analysing the Hunter Valley for particulate pollution around areas of mining activity and coal-fired power stations.

Western Australia Government

In Western Australia, ANSTO has used nuclear scientific research techniques to advise the Department of Water on the declining health of wetlands coupled with the reduction in groundwater levels from increased irrigation demands and drier climatic conditions. Work was carried out in the Gnangara Mound, which is responsible for 60 percent of Perth’s water supply. The research provided to the Department of Water assisted in formulating results-based policymaking and to assist in improving the current understanding of groundwater resources.

Websites for further information:

NSW Government:

www.environment.nsw.gov.au/radiation/listofcourseproviders.htm

ANSTO’s work on water resources:

www.ansto.gov.au/research/institute_of_environmental_research/science/isotopes_for_water/climate_variability_and_water_resources

REVIEWS AND/OR EVALUATIONS

ANSTO regularly showcases its research innovation, engaging in national scientific collaborations with numerous partners. ANSTO works closely and regularly with others in the national and international science communities. It works to strengthen its international links and collaborations, particularly with regional neighbours. ANSTO also regularly engages with Commonwealth departments and State government agencies: contributing strongly to national science policy development, service delivery, and connections across the scientific community.

ANSTO collaborates with the private sector, using its landmark infrastructure and expertise to help industries such as mining to achieve their goals. Where appropriate, ANSTO also explores opportunities to partner with the private sector. And, more broadly, ANSTO works to foster future scientific expertise through its graduate program, where it supports the Australian Government’s objective to increase the number of students completing higher degrees by research.