A NEW £150m accelerator science centre based at Daresbury Laboratory, which is understood to be currently under consideration by the government, would be the most exciting scientific project in the UK in the next decade if it goes ahead.

This is the view of John Dainton, professor of physics at Liverpool University, who is among scientists who are campaigning to raise awareness of what the new centre, known as CASIM, would mean for Daresbury, the town and the region.

He said: "We want people in Warrington to know about this important opportunity. We want everybody in the town to be aware that this would mean an exciting future. CASIM has tremendous potential for the region."

CASIM - Centre for Accelerator Science, Imaging and Medicine - would involve Daresbury, Liverpool and Manchester Universites, UMIST, and other universities, and would lead to great strides forward in many areas, including the treatment of cancer, new materials and better knowledge of the earth itself and the "big bang" and would also provide many opportunities for companies, particularly in electronics manufacturing.

The work will also involve the Grid - the next generation of the Internet being pioneered partly at Daresbury - which will enable scientistis to work together in a "virtual" laboratory.

Said Professor Dainton: "CASIM would enable the UK to play a leading role in world science while at the same time see major developments and spin-off in industrial and medical activities of direct benefit to the nation. It would have an important foothold on the world scene."

Peter Butler, who is also a professor of physics at Liverpool University, has been responsible for galvanising nuclear physics groups and companies all over the UK to support CASIM. They wrote 47 letters of support which have been sent to the government.

Professor Butler has also had talks with companies which would make products and equipment for the new centre and gained their support.

Like many of this country's scientists, Professor Butler currently does most of his research outside the UK. CASIM would enable him to do 75 per cent of it at Daresbury.

He said that when a scientist discovers something, the kudos, over time, often goes to the labatory where it was discovered rather than to the scientist. Professor Butler would like to see credit for the work of UK scientists going to Daresbury.

Among the companies which wrote letters of support for CASIM was Warrington based BNFL. A spokesman said : "We believe it is a good cause and an excellent facility for the north west. There may be areas of work where we can link in."

The original idea for a Centre for Accelerator Science, Imaging and Medicine was that of Dr Tim Greenshaw, director of research courses at Liverpool University.

He said that the centre, if it goes ahead, will build on the existing expertise of Daresbury and work in partnership with hospitals, universities and industry to enhance science in the north west, and promote strong UK involvement with international science projects.

One example of the centre's prospects is that it would extend developments which have been done at Clatterbridge Hospital in the treatment of cancer.

Dr Greenshaw explained that, put very simply, accelerators are like giant electron guns, firing tiny particles that whiz around inside atoms. Televisions, for example, have small electron accelerators, and the picture is created by electrons hitting the back of the TV screen.

Professor Bob Cernik, director of physical science at Daresbury Laboratory said "We would be delighted to host the CASIM at Daresbury. It would utilise the skills of Daresbury staff and of Universities in the north west both in pure and applied research. There is long term potential for more high quality jobs in the region. CASIM would be ideal for Daresbury."

He said it would give the laboratory a cutting edge in international quality scientific research and provide a strong link for growing clusters of medical technology, environmental science and bio-technology in the north west.

If the project does go to Daresbury, medical technology would start almost immediately and the rest would be phased in over five years. The project would run side by side with the existing synchrotron radiation machinery.

The SRS is scheduled to run for another seven years but it could continue longer than that. Investment is still being made in the synchrotron. It might be continued for biological use, analytical use in industry, medical imaging and engineering work.

Profession Cernik has a personal vision for the future of Daresbury, following the loss of the Diamond project - the next generation of synchrotron radiation, which was given to Daresbury's sister laboratory in Oxfordshire last year.

He envisages Daresbury playing a major role in the challenges confronting the north west in the "knowledge" economy. He sees the laboratory continuing to cater for the needs of academics while at the same time working with business to develop high technology companies and products.

His vision is in accordance with the government's policy of increasing funding to enable regional development agencies to promote innovations, clusters of related companies, services and research facilities in high tech sectors such as the Internet, materials science, bioscience and software.

The Warrington based North West Development Agency has already identified 14 sectors where it will target support and Daresbury has links with 11 of them.

Professor Cernik envisages the laboratory's future bringing together several major strands of the science scene. These include, on the biosciences front, development of work related to the human genome; in medical technology, improvements in areas such as whole body imaging for diagnostic technology; in environmental sciences, new techniques for handling atmospheric, soil and water pollution; in information technology, the UK's first virtual laboratory for materials science and also the possibility of a science, technology and instrumentation centre.