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The MU Research Reactor (MURR) in Columbia was built in 1966. This view is seen from above (file photo courtesy of the MU News Bureau)

South Columbia’s Discovery Parkway is proposed location of new Mizzou research reactor

The MU Research Reactor (MURR) in Columbia was built in 1966. This view is seen from above (photo courtesy of the MU News Bureau)

Mizzou officials have unveiled a plan to build a new, larger research reactor aimed at expanding cancer-fighting research at MU. The proposed reactor would be built near Discovery Ridge, off of Highway 63 in south Columbia.

UM System President Dr. Mun Choi says the work they do at the current MU Research Reactor (MURR) saves lives and improves thousands of lives daily. MURR was built in 1966.

Mizzou officials describe medical isotopes as critical national resources and say we must secure our domestic supply to treat patients in Missouri and the nation. President Choi has unveiled a plan to build a new, larger research reactor that will expand medical isotope production at Mizzou. These isotopes are used in cancer treatments and imaging agents to diagnose cancers and heart disease.

The current MU Research Reactor is located near Columbia’s South Providence, down the hill from Faurot Field. It operates 52 weeks a year, 24 hours a day, six-point-five days a week.

This new project ties in with NextGen at Mizzou, which is named for former Senator Roy Blunt. He predicts NextGen will cement Missouri’s place as a leader in biomedical research.

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