Biomedical Isotopes
Both stable and radioactive isotopes, produced and isolated at Los Alamos, benefit biomedical research and medical procedures.

Since the Lab’s inception, the science of isotopes (atoms with the same number of protons but different numbers of neutrons) has been core to our mission. We apply both stable and radioactive isotopes to a range of biomedical science. The large-scale isolation of stable isotopes of oxygen, carbon, and nitrogen required distillation columns up to 700 feet high. The isotopes enabled techniques like nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) to map out biological molecules, and frontier research like pharmacokinetics, tracking the speed of interactions between medicines and the body. Short-lived radioactive isotopes are used for medical imaging and therapy. For example, strontium-82, used for cardiac imaging, was delivered from Los Alamos Neutron Science Center starting in the 1970s. Strontium-82 production has successfully been transferred to industry, while the Lab has shifted focus to a new suite of radioisotopes for medical imaging and treatment for a broad spectrum of diseases.
Contributing authors
Kevin John and Jill Trewhella
References
Los Alamos was a major supplier of Strontium-82 for years:
- Production of strontium-82 for the Cardiogen® PET generator: A project of the Department of Energy Virtual Isotope Center, Phillips, Dennis, E. J. Peterson, Wayne Taylor, et al. Radiochimica Acta 88 (2000): 149–155.