Matt Sanford, executive director of the MU Research Reactor, spoke on a panel Thursday emphasizing the future of nuclear research at Mizzou and its impact on cancer treatment.
“If you ask people in the world, ‘Where do you go to solve tough, complex problems in nuclear science?’ they say the University of Missouri,” Sanford said, noting that Mizzou sets the standard for efficient, safe and reliable reactor operations. “We’re internationally recognized — I think we’re more popular in the world than we are in our own hometown.”
The university aims not only to supply isotopes but to lead innovation by bridging pharmaceutical research and clinical use. Last year, 450,000 cancer patients were treated with isotopes produced at MURR.
During the panel discussion, the prevalence of nuclear research in clinical medicine led to a common theme — the importance of the university's second nuclear reactor, NextGen MURR, as part of a major investment in medical research.
NextGen MURR, a 20-megawatt, state-of-the-art reactor, would expand cancer treatment capabilities by allowing the university to create more and different types of isotopes to use in research and clinical trials. Construction of the new reactor is planned for Discovery Ridge, the research park off of U.S. 63’s Discovery Parkway exit.
The total cost of the project is approximately $1 billion. The university recently secured $50 million in funding from the Missouri General Assembly. These funds were allocated to Mizzou after Gov. Mike Kehoe called a special session in the legislature to discuss budget items concerning the sports stadium funding in Kansas City, tornado aid for St. Louis, Mizzou's nuclear reactor and other projects.
“This project will result in the dramatic increase of our university’s impact on our state and our country,” Todd Graves, chair of the UM System Board of Curators, said in a news release. “We appreciate the support of the governor and legislature for this crucially important work.”
Additionally, Mizzou announced a $10 million agreement in April with a consortium that includes Hyundai Engineering America, the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, the Hyundai Engineering Co. and MPR Associates for the initial design. During the time of that announcement, Mizzou President Mun Choi told the Missourian a total of $200 million had been secured for the project.
While the current reactor is licensed through 2037 with no major technical limitations, NextGen MURR is still in its preliminary design phase. The exact division of duties between the two reactors, including which isotopes and research activities each one would handle, remains to be determined.
The project is expected to take eight to 10 years to complete.
Mizzou is home to the largest university research reactor in the U.S., which has operated in Columbia since 1966. As the nation's sole producer of four critical medical isotopes used to treat thyroid, liver, pancreatic and prostate cancers, the existing MURR runs 24 hours a day, 6½ days a week to supply these short-lived, lifesaving materials.
Sanford reflected on the legacy of Mizzou's nuclear reactor crediting the staff who run the reactor, conduct research and ensure safety onsite, calling their work the reason Mizzou is widely recognized as the ideal place to build a new reactor.
