Happy #InternationalDayOfLight!
This year's theme is #LightForASustainableFuture, and at Diamond we use synchrotron light to support research into:
⚡ Clean energy technologies
🔋 Battery and catalyst development
♻️ Sustainable and recyclable materials
Swipe to discover six fun facts that you might not know about light at Diamond Light Source…💡☀️🔦
#ThrowbackThursday - Seven years ago, ancient scrolls with the potential to transform our understanding of life in ancient Rome arrived at Diamond…📜
In 79 AD, Mount Vesuvius erupted and destroyed the town of Herculaneum, damaging thousands of manuscripts - the only surviving library from antiquity.
Jumping to 2019, some of the fragile scrolls were carefully transported to Diamond and scanned on our I12 JEEP beamline to "digitally unwrap" the texts that can't be opened in any other way. Combining the scans with AI software, the researchers uncovered thousands of characters!
In 2024, another Herculaneum scroll from @bodleianlibraries was scanned at Diamond and one of the first translated words was διατροπή, which means 'disgust' in Ancient Greek.
These discoveries are a brilliant example of scientists and historians working together to unlock the past.
#ThrowbackThursday - Today we're taking it back to 2019, when researchers used Diamond's I18 beamline to examine a paint sample from Rembrandt's Homer 🎨🖌️
Like many other Old Master paintings, white lead-rich deposits appeared on the painting over time. So to help future generations continue enjoying the work of the Old Masters, a team of conservation scientists used X-ray Diffraction Computed Tomography to understand the evolving chemistry both on and beneath the painting's surface.
This led to the discovery of how the lead-containing paint reacted with pollutants in the air - a key starting point for further investigating the degradation process and pinpointing the best treatments.
Stay tuned for more examples of how synchrotron light at Diamond can aid #CulturalConservation!
Dorchester Festival, over and out!
From hooking ducks to looking down microscopes, lots of visitors got to explore how Diamond's bright light can help us understand diseases and create cures. 🦆🔬
Thank you to the organisers, our staff volunteers and everyone who came to see us - we hope you enjoyed it as much as us!✨
Looking for educational, family-friendly fun on the Early May Bank Holiday? We've got just the thing!
Our public engagement team will be at the @dorchesterfestival on Monday 4 May. Come along to the “Science Mad!” session for hands on science activities and discover how we use bright light at Diamond to learn about tiny structures at an atomic level 🔎🔬
📅 Monday 4 May 2026
📍 Festival Big Tent, Dorchester Abbey
🕛 12:00-16:00
🎟️ Free entry
Today is #EarthDay!
So we're taking a moment to reflect on how science and innovation at Diamond is helping shape a more sustainable future. From renewable energy to reducing waste, researchers are exploring new ways to use synchrotron science to protect our planet 🌍💚
#OurPowerOurPlanet #EarthDay2026
If you haven't had the chance to see inside the UK's national synchrotron yet, this could be it...
Our next public open day takes place on Saturday 30 May and the ticket ballot is open until Sunday 3 May, so there's still time to enter!🎟️
On our open days, members of the public get to see our particle accelerator, explore our experimental labs and chat with the scientists and engineers who work here.
📅 Saturday 30 May 2026
⌛ Enter by Sunday 3 May 2026
ℹ️ These events are very popular and we have a limit on the number of visitors we can accommodate so we operate a ballot system to offer a fair allocation of spaces.
Interested? Find out more on our website!
Congratulations are in order for one of our Senior Beamline Scientists, David Aragao, who has been awarded a @royalsocbio Fellowship!👏
Receiving the highest membership grade that the Society award, he has been recognised for his contribution to the biological sciences throughout his career and at Diamond.
Read the full news story to find out more about David's career and the award, on our website.
#WorldHealthDay is observed every year on 7 April. So today, we're celebrating the research happening at Diamond Light Source that supports global health.
With the help of scientists from all around the world, the technologies at Diamond aid breakthroughs in structural biology, antimicrobial resistance, drug discovery and new therapeutics.
Discover the perspectives of three Diamond employees whose work is making a real-life impact on human health across the globe 🌍🔬
Last week, we were thrilled to have 209 students and teachers join us for our Schools Open Day!
Joining us from all across the UK - from as far as Birmingham and Lancaster - the students received an introduction to Diamond before embarking on a tour of the synchrotron.
During the tour, the classes got to learn about:
🔬 The types of science that take place at Diamond (from beamline scientists themselves!)
⭕ See the machine up close
👩🔬Ask the experts their questions about the synchrotron
Interested in attending the Schools Open Day closes? Enter the ballot on our website by Sunday 26 April!
On Saturday we welcomed 345 visitors to Diamond for our latest Inside Diamond Public Open Day!💎🔬
Visitors joined us from across the country and beyond to learn how the UK's national synchroton enables breakthroughs with real-world impact.
We were also delighted to take Nobel Prize winner John Jumper behind the scenes at Diamond and showcase the power of synchrotron science.
Special thanks to The Pirbright Institute and @bigscience_stfc for providing exciting hands-on activities in the atrium, and to the 7th Bicester Scout Group for the fantastic selection of baked goods 🍰🧁
P.S. If you want to enter the ballot for the next Open Day, we'll let announce when it's open again on our socials!👀
This #WorldWaterDay, we're highlighting some recent research that could help to improve the effectiveness of how we remove pollutants from water 💧
Using Diamond's B18 and I15-1 beamlines, researchers confirmed that combining metal-organic frameworks with covalent organic frameworks works better at cleaning water than either one alone.
This discovery was made because they were able to examine what happens where the two materials join, revealing how the structure changes once iron is added.
Interested in learning more? Read the full science highlight on our website 🌐
