The Australian Synchrotron has rapidly become an essential tool for research groups around Australia and New Zealand, but none more so than CSIRO’s Materials for Energy, Water and the Environment group.

Sunscreens, plastics and paints often contain zinc oxide nanoparticles, which protect skin and other surfaces from harmful ultraviolet rays. The advantage of nanoparticles is that we can’t see them on our skin, unlike larger particles that appear white.

In response to recent claims that nanoparticles of zinc oxide could increase the risk of sunlight damaging the skin if they were absorbed into the skin, Australian researchers are using synchrotron techniques to explore the detailed toxicology and reactivity of zinc oxide.

A collaboration between Monash University, the University of Technology Sydney, and the University of Queensland has laid the foundations for a new class of antimalarial drugs, with the help of the high-throughput protein crystallography beamline at the Australian Synchrotron.