COLUMBIA — University of Missouri and federal officials broke ground on a nuclear medicine facility at Discovery Parkway on Thursday.
The 31,250-square-foot center will create and research radioisotopes used in medical treatments.
Speakers at Thursday’s ceremony included MU Research Reactor Executive Director Matt Sanford, UM System President Mun Choi, UM System Board of Curators representative Blaine Luetkemeyer, Nuclear Energy Agency Director-General William Magwood IV and Department of Energy Office of Isotope R&D and Production Director Chris Landers.
“Radio isotopes are tiny, but just a small amount of radio isotopes can treat hundreds of hundreds of millions of patients,” Sanford said.
University officials said the facility will expand the production of radioisotopes, making Missouri a world leader in cancer treatment.
“This can be the epicenter of nuclear medicine in the United States, and why not Missouri? Why not Missouri?” Choi said.
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Speakers emphasized that the project will not just benefit Missouri but will make an impact on the world.
“It’s not just Missouri. Radioisotopes produced by Missouri are more that will come with this project,” Landers said. “They supply not only the country but parts of Europe and other parts of the world with these isotopes.”
The project was funded by a collaboration of the state of Missouri and U.S. Department of Energy. Together, the government agencies granted $40 million for the building of the facility.
“You are providing a benefit to all of society,” Landers said. “When you’re in a position to see how public money is spent, you’re looking to at what can we do that provides the greatest benefit to society.”
The new center is expected to create 25 new jobs in Columbia.