By Uriah Orland
April 2, 2025
Contact: Janese Heavin, heavinj@missouri.edu
Photo by Abbie Lankitus
The University of Missouri hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony today for a 47,000-square-foot addition to the University of Missouri Research Reactor (MURR) facility.
Dubbed “MURR West,” the $20 million, three-story addition to the existing MURR North Building represents not only an investment in the physical infrastructure but also in the future of research and production that will impact lives around the world.
“MURR is the most important source for medical radioisotopes in the country,” University of Missouri President Mun Choi said. “With the opening of MURR West, we proudly expand our lifesaving impact. This addition includes 16,000 square feet of space dedicated for innovative research, medical isotope production and collaborative projects with industry partners.”
Last year, 450,000 cancer patients were treated with isotopes produced at MURR.
“The opportunities that MURR West will provide in 2025 and beyond will save even more lives by changing the landscape of nuclear and cancer research,” Todd Graves, chair of the UM Board of Curators, said. “The board and I are proud that such a necessary and impactful initiative will bring so much to our state and enhance the health and well-being of its citizens.”
“This new addition gives us the space we need and space for our partners to grow their technologies,” Matt Sanford, executive director of MURR, said. “The first floor will be the future home of new research labs and industry partners who will work with Mizzou to develop new technologies. By co-locating here with MURR, they can leverage the expertise at MURR to help them bring their vision to reality faster. It also represents the commitment Mizzou has to support Columbia, Boone County and Missouri through the economic development possibilities new companies will bring.”
The second and third floors provide space for manufacturing support, research and development, regulatory documents and records, and employees previously working in temporary buildings, as well as additional space for future expansion.
In addition to MURR West, Mizzou continues to invest in the expansion of radiopharmaceutical production at MURR.
In early March, construction began on a new addition that will house more production lines for the processing of no-carrier-added lutetium-177 (NCA Lu-177), the active pharmaceutical ingredient in Lutathera® and Pluvicto®, targeted radiotherapies used to treat neuroendocrine tumors and prostate cancer, respectively. In June, MURR will begin construction on another addition that will create more storage and support space for the increased NCA Lu-177 production.
“These new additions are exciting,” Sanford said. “They enable more lifesaving patient treatments and allow us to invest in new discoveries. Combined with our ambitious plans for NextGen MURR, a new 20-megawatt research reactor, we are securing Mizzou’s place as a leader in cancer research and treatment for generations.”
The expansions and growth will help meet the increasing demand for lifesaving and life extending drugs to treat cancer patients around the U.S. and the world.
