Editing Canadian Light Source (section)

==Medical isotope project==

With the [[National Research Universal reactor|NRU]] reactor at the [[Chalk River Laboratories]] due to close in 2016, there was a need to find alternative sources of the medical isotope [[technetium-99m]], a mainstay of [[nuclear medicine]]. In 2011 the Canadian Light Source received $14 Million in funding to investigate the feasibility of using an electron [[LINAC]] to produce [[molybdenum-99]], the parent isotope of technetium-99.<ref name="CBCisotopes">{{cite news|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan/sask-synchrotron-to-make-medical-isotopes-1.1121457 |title=Sask. Synchrotron to make medical isotopes |date=24 November 2011 |access-date=15 July 2012 |work=CBC News}}</ref> As part of this project a 35MeV LINAC has been installed in an unused underground experimental hall previously used for [[photodisintegration|photonuclear]] experiments with the SAL LINAC. First [[irradiation]]s are planned for late summer 2012, with the results to be evaluated by the [[Winnipeg]] [[Health Sciences Centre (Winnipeg)|Health Sciences Centre]].<ref name="isotope2">{{cite web | url=http://accelconf.web.cern.ch/accelconf/IPAC2012/papers/thxa01.pdf|title=Producing medical isotopes using X-rays| year=2012 | accessdate=27 July 2012}}</ref>

This project lead to the founding a spin-off company — Canadian Isotope Innovations Corporation (CIIC), which was described as part of CEO Rob Lamb's 'legacy of accomplishment' when he departed the facility in 2021.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://news.usask.ca/articles/people/2021/usask-and-canadian-light-source-announce-executive-director-rob-lambs-retirement.php | title=USask and Canadian Light Source announce Executive Director Rob Lamb's retirement }}</ref> The CIIC declared bankruptcy in 2024.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://mnpdebt.ca/en/corporate/corporate-engagements/canadian-isotope-innovations-corp | title=Canadian Isotope Innovations Corp }}</ref>