Public tours have begun at the University of Saskatchewan as construction continues on a massive microscope for the molecular world.

The synchrotron can observe molecules by accelerating particles to nearly the speed of light, a process that produces intense light beams.

Electrons are fired into a giant ring. They pick up speed and the light is funneled into what's called a beamline, which can then examine the molecular composition of the sample in great detail.

A majority of the world's particle accelerators are in the United States, while Canada is the only Group of Eight industrialized country without such a device.

But that will change in three years when construction is completed on the Saskatoon facility, which will cover the size of a football field and cost nearly $174 million.

Michael Bancroft, director of Canadian Light Source Inc., says the company's synchrotron will potentially attract $35 million annually to Canada in commercial research and development.

"It has a very large use in most scientific disciplines, from physics, chemistry, geology, medicine..." he says.

For the Canadian government, the project presents an opportunity to attract Canadian scientists back to Canada. Already, eight scientists who left the country are planning to return to work in Saskatoon.