Nuclear revival boosts research potential at McMaster University.

The Ontario government provided $18 million to allow McMaster’s on-campus reactor to operate 24/7, enabling increased medical isotope production and expanded student research and training opportunities.

McMaster University operates a research reactor beneath its Hamilton campus that the university emphasizes as a research and training asset. The facility was built in 1959 and sits about 10 metres below a pool of water, where low-enriched uranium fuel produces a characteristic blue glow. The reactor supplies a large share of the world’s iodine-125 used in medical treatments. Provincial funding was announced to expand operating hours, and the university has been increasing academic offerings and student access. Key details: - The reactor was built in 1959 and is located beneath a water pool; the blue light seen in the pool is Cherenkov radiation. - In September, the Ontario government announced $18 million to allow the reactor to operate 24 hours a day, up from five days a week. - The reactor produces about 60 per cent of the world’s supply of iodine-125, a medical isotope used in cancer treatment. - McMaster launched a minor in nuclear studies with roughly 150 students and last term saw 148 students sign up for an interdisciplinary course on nuclear technology applications; a bachelor’s degree in nuclear engineering is in development. - Susan Tighe became president in 2025 as the university’s first engineer president; McMaster reported a surplus in 2025 and describes an emphasis on operating within its means. Summary: The provincial funding and extended operating hours are intended to raise isotope production and broaden research and training access on campus. Student interest in nuclear studies is growing and the university is developing an undergraduate nuclear engineering program. Further expansions or partnerships are undetermined at this time.