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Diamond Light Source is the UK’s national synchrotron serving scientists and researchers from around the world.

It is a not-for-profit joint venture funded by UK Research & Innovation (UKRI) and Wellcome.

23/06/2026

To celebrate today, we're shining a light on Michela Semeraro, a Senior Mechanical Project Engineer at Diamond!

In this video, Michela offers insights into her day-to-day role by sharing the projects she's working on at Diamond and how they align with her overarching career goals.

Watch the video below 📹👇

12/06/2026

We were delighted to host over 200 students and teachers at our schools open day last week! To kick off the visit, the groups learnt all about what happens at Diamond before heading on a tour of the synchrotron to see the technology up close.

Interested in joining the next one?👀 We run multiple open days for schools throughout the academic year, and the ballot for the October day is now open!👉 https://www.diamond.ac.uk/Public/For-School/Open-days-and-other-events/A-AS-Level-visit.html

11/06/2026

- We're back with one last bit of research from 2022 on Henry VIII's warship, but this time it centres on the brick ovens they used on the ship!⚓🧱

Professor Eleanor Schofield from The Mary Rose and Dr Donna Arnold from University of Kent came to Diamond to find out what compounds were present in the bricks and to understand more about the impact of the process.

Using a combination of synchrotron technologies, they discovered that the brick samples contained iron and calcium salts, as well as silicon oxide.

Being able to look at the form of the salts in detail meant that the team left with more knowledge about how to preserve the bricks and reduce the risk of historical loss going forward.

09/06/2026

Using synchrotron technology at Diamond, scientists have recently discovered a thermal process in which could explain why volcanos with similar systems can have very different eruptions 🌋

An international team of researchers, led by the University of Manchester, studied magma from the 2021 Tajogaite eruption on La Palma in Spain, and found that can strongly delay the formation of crystals as magma rises - causing dramatic lava fountaining behaviour.

Going forward, these findings could improve how scientists interpret volcanic monitoring signals and forecast eruption behaviour.

Read the full article to find out more 👉 https://www.diamond.ac.uk/Home/News/LatestNews/2026/Magma-superheating-could-improve-eruption-forecasts.html

04/06/2026

- Today we're travelling back to 2014, when researchers from the University of Reading came to Diamond to analyse pigments from 10,000-year-old cave art!🎨

The team used Diamond's MIRIAM B22 beamline to learn more about Neolithic wall paintings at two different sites. They discovered that the pigment from Turkey contained obsidian, which had not previously been found in the area, suggesting that it was selected for its reflective properties in low light conditions.

And the sample from Iran was composed of a common type of red clay called terra rossa, which is no longer found at the site due to flooding.

Using synchrotron technology to study cave art offers valuable insights into our distant ancestors' lives and helps us to better understand the landscape they once lived in 🌄🌳

03/06/2026

On Saturday, we welcomed 322 visitors from all over the country to see inside the UK's national synchrotron!🔎🔬

After receiving an introduction to the faciltiy and a tour from our own brilliant staff members, visitors were left feeling inspired and excited by the science and engineering achieved at Diamond.

Thank you to all those who came, it was a pleasure to show the real-world impact of the work we do at Diamond!

28/05/2026

- Solving the mystery of the 6th century Anglo-Saxon brooch... 🕵️

Between 2010 and 2014, archaeologists excavated an Anglo-Saxon cemetery and uncovered an intriguing large brooch, made from copper with gilt and had enamel decoration. What was interesting was that enamel isn't usually associated with Ango-Saxon artefacts from the 6th century.

Scientists from the University of Lancashire brought the brooch to Diamond in 2018 to find out more about its composition. They used synchrotron technologies on the I18 beamline and found that it was likely made from recycled materials using a similar enamelling method to the Romans.

Merging Anglo-Saxon art with Roman-British technology, the brooch is evidence that the phenomenon was more significant than once thought.

21/05/2026

- Today we’re taking it back to 2018, when researchers came to Diamond to investigate which techniques are most effective for conserving iron cannonballs from the Mary Rose 🚢🤴

When Henry VIII’s famous warship sank in 1545, it carried with it 1,248 cannonballs. After the ship was excavated, conservationists trialled a range of methods to preserve them, creating a unique opportunity for scientists to evaluate which approaches work best.

Researchers used techniques such as X-ray powder , absorption and X-ray to differentiate iron corrosion products formed during different conservation treatments 🔬

These findings are helping conservationists make more informed decisions about how to preserve important iron artefacts for future generations.

20/05/2026

Did you know that Diamond's I13-2 beamline has been used to uncover some fascinating insights into bees?🐝

Bees are vital to keep the world buzzing. From propping up ecosystems to pollinating food crops, humans have relied on bees for our survival over millenia. But how do they navigate their way through several kilometres of complex habitats?

In honour of , swipe to discover how scientists used synchrotron technology at Diamond to explore the visual world of bees!👀🔬

16/05/2026

Happy !

This year's theme is , and at Diamond we use synchrotron light to support research into:

⚡ Clean energy technologies
🔋 Battery and catalyst development
♻️ Sustainable and recyclable materials

Swipe to discover six fun facts that you might not know about light at Diamond Light Source…💡☀️🔦

Address

Diamond House, Harwell Science, And Innovation Campus
Didcot
OX110DE

Website

http://www.diamond.ac.uk/

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