Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation

The Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) is a statutory body of the Australian government, formed in 1987 to replace the Australian Atomic Energy Commission

Australian Atomic Energy Commission

The Australian Atomic Energy Commission was a statutory body of the Australian government.It was established in 1952, replacing the Atomic Energy Policy Committee. In 1981 parts of the Commission were split off to become part of CSIRO, the remainder continuing until 1987, when it was replaced by...

. Its head office and main facilities are in southern outskirts of Sydney at Lucas Heights

Lucas Heights, New South Wales

Lucas Heights is a suburb in southern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Lucas Heights is located 31 kilometres south-west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the Sutherland Shire....

, in the Sutherland Shire

Sutherland Shire

The Sutherland Shire is a Local Government Area in the Southern Sydney region of Sydney, Australia. Geographically, it is the area to the south of Botany Bay and the Georges River...

. It also operated the now closed National Medical Cyclotron at the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital

Royal Prince Alfred Hospital

The Royal Prince Alfred Hospital is a major public teaching hospital in Sydney, Australia, located on Missenden Road in Camperdown...

Purpose

The Australian Nuclear Science & Technology Organisation (ANSTO) is Australia's national nuclear organisation and the centre of Australian nuclear expertise. The Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation Act 1987 (Cth) prescribes its general purpose. The purpose is translated into action through corporate drivers of vision, mission and strategic goals.

Mission statement

To support the development and implementation of government policies and initiatives in nuclear and related areas, domestically and internationally
To operate nuclear science and technology based facilities, for the benefit of industry and the Australian and international research community
To undertake research that will advance the application of nuclear science and technology
To apply nuclear science, techniques and expertise to address Australia 's environmental challenges and increase the competitiveness of Australian industry
To manufacture and advance the use of radiopharmaceuticals
Radiopharmacology
Radiopharmacology is the study and preparation of radiopharmaceuticals, which are radioactive pharmaceuticals. Radiopharmaceuticals are used in the field of nuclear medicine as tracers in the diagnosis and treatment of many diseases. Many radiopharmaceuticals use technetium-99m which has many...

which will improve the health of Australians

Structure

ANSTO is governed by a Board of Directors, chaired by prominent scientist/businessman Dr Ziggy Switkowski

Ziggy Switkowski

Dr Zygmunt "Ziggy" Edward Switkowski is a Polish Australian businessman and nuclear physicist.He is most known as the former Chief Executive Officer of Australia's largest telecommunications company Telstra, and for overseeing major aspects of the implementation and planning of its full...

, and is managed by CEO Dr Adi Paterson.

Research at ANSTO is organised in four institutes:

The Bragg Institute
Bragg Institute
The Bragg Institute is a neutron and X-ray scattering group in Australia. It is part of the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation's site outside Sydney, in New South Wales, Australia...
The Institute for Environmental Research (IER)
The Institute of Materials Engineering (IME)
The Radiopharmaceutical Research Institute (RRI)

Major research instruments include:

Particle accelerator, ANTARES
High resolution powder neutron diffractometer, ECHIDNA
Echidna
Echidnas , also known as spiny anteaters, belong to the family Tachyglossidae in the monotreme order of egg-laying mammals. There are four extant species, which, together with the platypus, are the only surviving members of that order and are the only extant mammals that lay eggs...

(links)
Neutron diffractometer, WOMBAT
Residual stress diffractometer, KOWARI
Kowari
The Kowari , also known as the Brush-tailed Marsupial Rat, Kayer Rat, Byrne's Crest-tailed Marsupial Rat, Bushy-tailed Marsupial Rat and Kawiri, is a small carnivorous marsupial native to the dry grasslands and deserts of central Australia...
Neutron reflectometer, PLATYPUS
Platypus
The platypus is a semi-aquatic mammal endemic to eastern Australia, including Tasmania. Together with the four species of echidna, it is one of the five extant species of monotremes, the only mammals that lay eggs instead of giving birth to live young...

ANSTO also manufactures Radiopharmaceuticals and performs commercial work such as silicon doping by nuclear transmutation

Nuclear transmutation

Nuclear transmutation is the conversion of one chemical element or isotope into another. In other words, atoms of one element can be changed into atoms of other element by 'transmutation'...

Nuclear reactors

ANSTO currently has two nuclear reactors onsite: HIFAR and the new OPAL

OPAL

OPAL is a 20 megawatt pool-type nuclear research reactor that was officially opened on 20 April 2007 at the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation Research Establishment at Lucas Heights, located in South Sydney, Australia.The main reactor uses are:* Irradiation of target...

from the Argentine

Argentina

Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...

company INVAP

INVAP

INVAP S.E. is an Argentine high-technology company dedicated to the design, integration, construction and delivery of high complexity equipment, plants and devices.-Background:...

. HIFAR was permanently shut down on January 30, 2007. OPAL became operational in November 2006 and was officially opened the 20th April, 2007.

ANTARES

ANTARES, (Australian National Tandem Accelerator for Applied Research), is a particle accelerator

Particle accelerator

A particle accelerator is a device that uses electromagnetic fields to propel charged particles to high speeds and to contain them in well-defined beams. An ordinary CRT television set is a simple form of accelerator. There are two basic types: electrostatic and oscillating field accelerators.In...

operated by the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation or ANSTO at the research establishment at Lucas Heights. ANTARES does not produce radioisotopes, that work is done using the adjacent nuclear research reactor, and also at the National Medical Cyclotron also run by ANSTO but located at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital