Daily Maverick: Op-Ed: South Africa needs more investment in biophysics and structural biology

Read about BioPhysics in South Africa South Africa has some excellent researchers in various branches of biophysics. However, despite lofty documents put out by the Department of Science and Technology like the Bioeconomy Strategy and the SARIR (South African Research Infrastructure Roadmap), South Africa remains woefully under-invested in biophysics and structural biology. By TJAART KRUGER,… Read More Daily Maverick: Op-Ed: South Africa needs more investment in biophysics and structural biology

September 10, 2024 Prof Simon H ConnellLeave a comment

A bonanza of everything “light sources” in one place !

Lightsources.org welcomed over 500 attendees to a live virtual symposium to mark the 75th Anniversary of the first direct observation of synchrotron light in a laboratory. The event took place on the 28th April 2022. The recording below archives this amazing event. AfLS highly recommends viewing these recordings to get the best overview of the… Read More A bonanza of everything “light sources” in one place !

May 6, 2022 Prof Simon H ConnellLeave a comment

Historic Day for African Science

Wednesday will be a historic day in African science!! Today we inaugurate the African Crystallographic Association (AfCA)! Please be sure to catch the historic session at 11h45 GMT+2 The objectives of AfCA are to contribute to the advancement of crystallography and structural science in all its aspects, to promote African cooperation in crystallography and related… Read More Historic Day for African Science

November 17, 2021November 17, 2021 Lawrence Norris1 Comment

Launching the AfLS-CDR call for Letters of Interest

The call is out to all Africans, Diaporeans, Friends of Africa to send in Letters of Interest. This LoI will indicate whay you wnat to see in a future African Light Source. What Science should it do ? What Technology should be there for the Accelerator, the Beamlines, the Instruments, the support infrastructure What Industry… Read More Launching the AfLS-CDR call for Letters of Interest

October 12, 2021October 12, 2021 Prof Simon H ConnellLeave a comment

SAIP Webinar: The African Light Source: Towards a brighter future

Title: The African Light Source: Towards a brighter future Speaker: Prof Simon Connell – University of Johannesburg / Chairperson – African Light Source Foundation SAIP Webinar 20 November 2020: at 13:00HRS South Africa Time https://zoom.us/j/95823647563?pwd=TWJHZ0NWWUNYTHY0RXBQNEk5ZWZsUT09 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=2772327832984294&id=1660099704207118 Recording: Download Slides Abstract: The Advanced Light Source (ALS) is one of the most transformative large-scale infrastructures for knowledge and innovation based sustainable socioeconomic… Read More SAIP Webinar: The African Light Source: Towards a brighter future

November 21, 2020November 21, 2020 Prof Simon H ConnellLeave a comment

Deep training and research by Postgrads and Postdocs from Africa at the ESRF

Today, the 13 October, two students – Fortune Mokoena and Alicia Potgieter – one a PhD, the other an MSc, left Africa to undergo deep training and perform research in engineering aspects of modern advanced light sources. They will arrive tomorrow morning at the ESRF in Grenoble, France. They follow closely on the heels of… Read More Deep training and research by Postgrads and Postdocs from Africa at the ESRF

October 13, 2020October 20, 2020 Prof Simon H ConnellLeave a comment

When will an African light source be built?

A good question came to us over Twitter. “Is there a timeline on building that synchrotron? (For all the curious young scientists out there you know.)” The short answer is, “Yes.” The African Light Source Foundation (AfLS), which is a legally constituted African NGO, has a defined mandate and roadmap that calls for 10-15 year… Read More When will an African light source be built?

September 10, 2020February 8, 2023 Prof Simon H ConnellLeave a comment

The African Light Source Foundation supports Black Lives Matter

The African Light Source Foundation is committed to a world free of racism, sexism and mysogyny, homophobia, transphobia, xenophobia, religious bigotry and discrimination on any other basis. An advanced light source for Africa is a large-scale endeavour requiring the combined ambition and effort of many countries working together across borders and cultures, and is envisioned… Read More The African Light Source Foundation supports Black Lives Matter

June 24, 2020July 29, 2020 Prof Simon H ConnellLeave a comment

A Powerful Partnership

The AfLS has signed its first partnership document, a Memorandum of Understanding. This is together with LAAAMP. A lamp is of course a light source! So its natural that LAAAMP is an organisation with a basket of major activities that powerfully progress several currently under developed regions towards light source science. Indeed LAAAMP would like… Read More A Powerful Partnership

April 30, 2020April 30, 2020 Prof Simon H ConnellLeave a comment

The Coronavirus: Synchrotrons and Cryo-EM to the rescue- Now with Updates !

First Post 3 March 2020 A terrible deathly coronavirus epidemic has gripped many countries, and its tentacles are spreading out to ever more countries. The World Health Organisation has just escalated its terminology to announce that the global risk of the outbreak spreading is “very high”. This is just short of a pandemic. Perhaps by… Read More The Coronavirus: Synchrotrons and Cryo-EM to the rescue- Now with Updates !

March 3, 2020October 6, 2022 Prof Simon H Connell1 Comment