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UW-Madison cyclotron project aims to scale up disease-targeted research
UW-Madison broke ground Oct. 23 on an expansion built around a new cyclotron, which the university expects to boost production of research materials by two to eight times. The work is intended to support development of imaging and treatment approaches for diseases including cancer and Alzheimer’s.
MADISON, Wis. — The University of Wisconsin-Madison broke ground Oct. 23 on an expansion centered on a new cyclotron, a particle accelerator that will support research into imaging and treatments for diseases including cancer and Alzheimer’s.
The machine accelerates subatomic particles using electric and magnetic fields. Researchers can use the process to make radioactive atoms and attach them to molecules designed to seek out diseased cells, an approach that may help them develop more targeted ways to detect or treat illness.
UW-Madison already operates a smaller cyclotron. The university expects the new machine to increase production of the research molecules by twofold to eightfold, expanding the materials available for studies.
Dr. Nita Ahuja, dean of the UW School of Medicine and Public Health, said the expanded facility will give researchers and physicians access to equipment and specialized materials needed to develop and test ideas. She noted that the materials are produced at only a small number of sites worldwide.
The project is intended to strengthen the university’s capacity for medical research. The information released about the groundbreaking did not specify the expansion’s cost or a completion date.