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Connell SH, Dollman K, Kamel G, Khan SA, Mitchell E, Mtingwa SK, Newton MC, Ngabonziza P, Nji E, Norris L, Zema M. The African Light Source: history, context and future. JOURNAL OF SYNCHROTRON RADIATION 2024; 31:1-9. [PMID: 38142406 PMCID: PMC10833437 DOI: 10.1107/s1600577523009682] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2023] [Accepted: 11/06/2023] [Indexed: 12/26/2023]
Abstract
The African Light Source (AfLS) project is now almost eight years old. This article assesses the history, current context and future of the project. There is by now considerable momentum in building the user community, including deep training, facilitating access to current facilities, growing the scientific output, scientific networks and growing the local laboratory-scale research infrastructure. The Conceptual Design Report for the AfLS is in its final editing stages. This document specifies the socio-economic and scientific rationales and the technical aspects amongst others. The AfLS is supported by many national and Pan-African scientific professional bodies and voluntary associates across many scientific disciplines, and there are stakeholders throughout the continent and beyond. The current roadmap phases have expanded to include national and Pan-African level conversations with policy makers through new Strategic Task Force groups. The document summarizes this progress and discusses the future of the project.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon H. Connell
- Department of Mechanical Engineering Science, University of Johannesburg, South Africa
| | | | - Gihan Kamel
- SESAME – Synchrotron light for Experimental Science and Applications in the Middle East, Allan, Jordan
- Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, Helwan University, Cairo, Egypt
| | | | | | | | - Marcus C. Newton
- Physics and Astronomy, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
| | - Prosper Ngabonziza
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Louisiana State University, USA
- Department of Physics, University of Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Emmanuel Nji
- Centre for Research in Therapeutic Sciences (CREATES), Strathmore University, Madaraka Estate, Ole Sangale Road, 59857-00200 Nairobi, Kenya
- BioStruct-Africa, Vårby, Stockholm, Sweden
| | | | - Michele Zema
- International Union of Crystallography, Chester, United Kingdom
- University of Bari ‘Aldo Moro’, Bari, Italy
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