The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has awarded $6 million in funding to nine organizations to advance medical isotope production research.
Funded projects include work to develop new separation schemes for purifying rare isotope material for radioisotopes used in cancer treatments and designing a novel compact particle accelerator specifically for isotope production in university or hospital settings, the DOE said.
The funding is part of a federal program that produces critical isotopes otherwise unavailable or in short supply in the U.S., noted Jehanne Gillo, director of the DOE Isotope Program, in a statement.
“A vibrant research program in isotope production, enrichment, and radiochemistry is key to promoting U.S. independence from foreign supply chains of enabling isotopes,” she said.
The current awards include five universities and four DOE national laboratories, with most of the awards being made to collaborative teams where universities and national laboratories work together, the DOE added.
