DIAMOND LIGHT SOURCE LIMITED

Their core work

Diamond Light Source operates the UK's national synchrotron — a massive particle accelerator that generates intense beams of X-rays, infrared, and ultraviolet light for scientific research. Scientists from academia and industry use Diamond's beamlines to study the atomic structure of everything from proteins and viruses to advanced materials and archaeological artefacts. Their facility enables breakthroughs in structural biology, drug discovery, materials science, and chemistry by providing transnational access to world-class photon science infrastructure. They also contribute significantly to European open data initiatives and research infrastructure coordination.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In the early H2020 period (2015–2018), Diamond operated as a broad-spectrum national facility, supporting physics, chemistry, engineering, geology, archaeometry, and even space science through its synchrotron beamlines and fellowship programmes. From 2019 onward, the focus sharpened toward two clear directions: building European open science data infrastructure (EOSC, FAIR data, metadata catalogues) and deepening structural biology for health applications (drug discovery, chemogenomics). There is also a notable shift from passive infrastructure provision toward active innovation leadership, evidenced by their first coordinator role in ChemoTaxi (2021) and participation in LEAPS-INNOV's open innovation pilot.

Diamond is evolving from a passive beamline provider into an active research leader in structural biology and open data, making them increasingly attractive as a scientific partner rather than just a facility host.

How they like to work

Diamond predominantly joins consortia as a participant (10 of 16 projects), providing specialist infrastructure and expertise to large, multi-partner research networks — their 235 unique partners across 32 countries confirm they function as a well-connected hub. They rarely lead projects (only 1 coordination), which is typical for large-scale research facilities that serve many communities rather than driving narrow agendas. Their five third-party roles suggest other organisations actively pull them in for their unique capabilities even when they are not formal consortium members.

With 235 unique consortium partners spanning 32 countries, Diamond has one of the broadest collaboration networks among UK research facilities. Their partnerships are heavily European but extend globally, reflecting their role as a destination facility that attracts users from every scientific discipline.

What sets them apart

Diamond is the UK's only synchrotron radiation source, making it an irreplaceable partner for any consortium needing X-ray, infrared, or UV characterisation at the atomic scale. Unlike university labs that specialise narrowly, Diamond serves dozens of scientific communities simultaneously — from protein crystallographers to materials scientists to archaeologists. For consortium builders, adding Diamond means gaining access to a facility with over 30 operational beamlines and a track record of enabling transnational access across Europe.

Highlights from their portfolio

• ChemoTaxi
  Diamond's only coordinator role in H2020, with their largest single grant (EUR 1.78M), signalling a strategic shift toward scientific leadership in bacterial chemotaxis signalling.
• iNEXT-Discovery
  Successor to the earlier iNEXT project, demonstrating Diamond's sustained commitment to structural biology infrastructure with EUR 921K for transnational access in NMR, EM, and crystallography.
• ExPaNDS
  Key project connecting photon and neutron facilities to the European Open Science Cloud, with Diamond receiving EUR 959K to build FAIR data services and metadata catalogues.