It could be argued that the Canadian Light Source (CLS) is the largest science project to be undertaken in Canada in the last 30 years. Located on the University of Saskatchewan campus in Saskatoon, the CLS is Canada's first synchrotron. Canada is the last G8 country to construct a synchrotron.
A synchrotron is an electron accelerator that propels electrons through a circular orbit at relativistic speeds (near the speed of light). Magnets within the synchrotron ring bend the path of the electrons; acceleration at each bend in the closed orbit results in energy emittance as photons (light). The energy of the photons spans the entire electromagnetic spectrum from far infrared to hard X-rays, and their brightness is approximately 106 brighter than the surface of the sun and 1010 brighter than conventional X-ray sources. The stream of photons, or the beamline, produced by a synchrotron is used for a wide variety of experiments in lifesciences, environmental earth sciences, and material sciences.
The CLS is being built with the help of a Canada Foundation for Innovation national facility grant. Currently 18 Canadian universities are partnering with the University of Saskatchewan in the construction of the CLS, which should be open in early 2004 with 6 operating beamlines. When at capacity, there will be an estimated 30 operating beamlines at the CLS.
A beamline consists of 1) optical devices that create a beam with a finely tuned energy bandwidth, 2) an experimental hutch where the sample or subject is positioned and the detectors are located, and 3) a control room that contains the computer and safety control equipment, as well as the researchers conducting the experiment. Beamline access for publicly funded research will be available without cost to the scientist, subject to peer review of the research proposal. Beam time for commercial research will be available on a cost recovery basis.
The BioMedical Imaging and Therapy (BMIT) beamline may be the most interesting for veterinary scientists, because it will be the only beamline at the Canadian Light Source designed to accommodate live animals. As the name implies, imaging and radiation therapy research will be done on specimens and animals ranging in size from rodents to horses. The brilliance and tuneability of the BMIT beamline provides unprecedented contrast and resolution (50 to 100 μm). The brightness will permit the production of microbeams for radiation therapy research (20 μm wide) that have the capability of destroying targeted tissue, while sparing surrounding tissue. The ability to tune the beam with an accuracy of 0.1 keV enables imaging techniques not possible with conventional radiography (element fluorescence, k-edge subtraction, diffraction-enhanced imaging, phase contrast imaging). In addition, “beam hardening” is not an issue with synchrotron light; therefore, experimental end points can involve quantitative measurements.
Examples of the type of research that has been proposed by Canadian researchers include visualization and quantification of cerebral blood flow and volume in a rat model; pathophysiology of ovarian and testicular dysfunction; utero-ovarian and uteroconceptus interactions; soft tissue and circulatory disruption in laminitis; pathogenesis of osteoarthritis; visualization of athletic injuries in horses; and experimental cancer therapy for companion animals.
The BMIT beamline is at the proposal stage; an additional Canada Foundation for Innovation infrastructure grant for this facility will be submitted during the next granting period. If the grant application is successful, the facility is projected to open in 2008. The mandate of the BMIT beamline and its physical proximity to the Western College of Veterinary Medicine represent an important and exciting opportunity for the veterinary profession. To become involved in the development of the BMIT project or to learn more about synchrotron-based biomedical imaging and therapy research, visit our Web site (www.lightsource.ca/bioimaging).
(by C.R. Christensen, Project Manager, BioMedical Imaging Group and G.P. Adams, Professor, Veterinary Biomedical Sciences, WCVM)
