A curated reference library of the key documents, summaries and peer-reviewed publications that set out the vision, scientific case and progress of the African Light Source (AfLS) Foundation and Project. Together they explain why Africa is building its own synchrotron, what it will enable, and how the initiative connects to science and development across the continent and the wider world.
The resources below are grouped to help readers find what they need: short summary briefs for a quick overview, the formal roadmap and annual reporting, the growing body of peer-reviewed literature, and the international policy and capacity-building materials that frame the project’s broader context. Each entry describes what the document covers rather than offering it as a download.
START HEREFoundational summaries and briefs
These short documents give a concise overview of the African Light Source Foundation and Project and are the best entry point for newcomers, partners and policymakers.
AfLS Two-Pager (2020)
A two-page summary distilling the purpose, scientific scope and status of the African Light Source into a quick, shareable overview.
AfLS Standard Brief
A standard briefing prepared for engagement with the African Union and other institutional partners, framing the AfLS as a continental science initiative.
PLAN & PROGRESSRoadmap and annual reporting
The roadmap and the annual report set out the long-term plan for the facility and document the project’s activities and progress.
The African Light Source Roadmap
The summary roadmap charting the path toward an African synchrotron light source — the strategic plan that guides the initiative.
AfLS 2020 Annual Report
The 2020 annual report, recording the work, milestones and developments of the African Light Source over the year.
SCIENTIFIC RECORDPeer-reviewed articles and reviews
A growing body of published literature makes the scientific case for the African Light Source and demonstrates how synchrotron techniques can transform research across the continent. The works below have appeared in peer-reviewed journals and scholarly volumes.
The African Light Source Project — an article in the African Physical Review presenting the project to the continent’s physics community.
Towards an African Light Source (Connell, 2019) — an article in Biophysical Reviews setting out the rationale and prospects for the facility.
- The African Light Source: history, context and future — a comprehensive account of how the initiative arose, the context in which it sits, and where it is heading.
- Recent progress towards an African light source — a chapter reviewing the latest developments and momentum behind the project.
- Synchrotron Techniques for African Research and Technology: A Step-Change in Structural Biology and Energy Materials — examines how synchrotron methods can deliver step-changes in structural biology and energy-materials research in Africa.
- Building a brighter future for Africa with the African Light Source — a perspective on the developmental promise of the facility for the continent.
- African Light Source aims for science with ubuntu — a feature on the collaborative, community-rooted spirit guiding the project.
- Shedding light on ore deposits: A review of synchrotron X-ray radiation use in ore geology research — a review of how synchrotron X-ray radiation advances ore-geology research, an area of clear relevance to Africa’s mineral resources.
The African Light Source aims for science with ubuntu — built on collaboration, shared purpose and benefit across the continent.
POLICY & CAPACITYInternational context and capacity building
The AfLS sits within a wider movement to broaden access to advanced light sources and to build the scientific communities that will use them. The materials below address policy, training and the experience of other regions.
Advanced Light Sources and Crystallography — a brochure introducing advanced light sources and crystallography and their importance for research, produced in connection with the LAAAMP initiative (Lightsources for Africa, the Americas, Asia and the Middle East and Pacific).
UNESCO Concept Note: Expanding African Access to Synchrotron Light Source
A concept note on unlocking scientific innovation and sustainable development in Africa by expanding access to synchrotron light, situating the AfLS within UNESCO’s science-for-development agenda.
Empowering Africa through Synchrotron Science: Toolkit
A toolkit designed to empower African researchers and institutions to engage with synchrotron science, supporting outreach, training and uptake.
BioStruct-Africa capacity-building workshops
An article presenting BioStruct-Africa’s capacity-building workshops as a model for advancing the emerging community of structural biologists in Africa — a concrete example of growing the human capacity the AfLS will serve.
Big science in Latin America: accelerate particles and progress
A perspective arguing that an advanced light source for research would boost scientific, economic and societal growth in the Greater Caribbean region — a parallel case that mirrors the ambitions behind the African Light Source.