A synchrotron is a large machine (about the size of a football field) that accelerates electrons to almost the speed of light. As the electrons are deflected through magnetic fields they create extremely bright light. The light is channelled down beamlines to experimental workstations where it is used for research (source, Australian Synchrotron). Over the years we have been very successful in attracting funding to travel to the Australian synchrotron as well as to synchrotrons in Europe and the USA. Here we can find out to in minute detail how metals are associated with minerals, plants and microbiota and assess how the metals exist where they are associated with these materials.

Access to major facilities grants

1. 2014/3; Australian Synchrotron (Australian Synchrotron, AS); XFM; to Brugger, Li, Reith, Etschmann Distribution and Speciation of Arsenic and Germanium in Australian Ores. (XFM, 4 days, Nov. 2014).
2. 19.-23.4.2013; AS; XFM; Experimentalists: Reith, Brugger, Etschmann Metalloproteomics of Cupriavidus metallidurans CH34.
3. 1.-6.5.2012 AS; XFM; Experimentalists: Reith, Brugger, Etschmann, Lombi, Donner; Biomineralisation of gold – nano-XANES imaging of gold in bacterial cells, soil organics and clays.
4. 10.-18.2.2011; European Synchrotron Research Facility (ESRF); 20 24337 ID22; Experimentalists: Reith, Brugger, Etschmann: Biomineralisation and speciation of gold in individual cells of the metallophilic bacterium Cupriavidus metallidurans incubated with three gold(I)-complexes.
5. 29.9.-3.10.2010, AS, XFM; Experimentalists: Reith, Brugger, Etschmann: Field-based biosensors for gold exploration: Understanding the distribution and association of Au in auriferous soils, calcrete and other weathered materials.
6. 12.-17.8.2009, AS; XFM; Experimentalists: Reith, Brugger, Etschmann: Biomineralisation of gold in the bacterium Cupriavidus metallidurans – SXRF-mapping and µ-XANES on individual bacterial cells.
7. 06/07-SRI-167 Advanced Photon Source (APS; Chicago) /PNC-CAT Experimentalists: Reith, Schmidt-Mumm, Hough, Brugger: The formation of anomalous gold in carbonate in the Australian regolith – Mapping the role of microbiota.
8. 22.2.-26.2.2008. EC231, ID22, ESRF. 12 shifts, Assessment of gold bioaccumulation in individual cells of the metallophillic bacterium Ralstonia metallidurans. Experimentalists: Reith, Brugger, Etschmann.
9. 27.6.-3.7.2007,  APS/2ID-E and 2ID-D: Fundamental mechanisms of gold bioaccumulation by the metallophillic bacterium Ralstonia metallidurans (6 shifts 2ID-D, 12 shifts 2ID-E) Experimentalists: Reith, Brugger, Etschmann. .
10. 20.4.-24.4.2007, SSRL, Stanford University; to Reith: Fundamental mechanisms of gold bioaccumulation by the metallophilic bacterium Ralstonia metallidurans.
11. 12.2006, APS (2-ID-D): Mechanisms of gold bioaccumulation by the metallophillic bacterium Ralstonia metallidurans, Experimentalists: Reith, Lombi, Brugger, Etschmann, Hough.