Nuclear is awesome. The future is bright. Greetings! I'm writing from our test nuclear reactor at the University of California-Irvine, where I typically spend a couple of days each week experimenting with tools and technologies we're developing at Serva to advance solutions that are quickly gaining support all over the world. More and more, I'm seeing nuclear in the news and renewed interest in nuclear power, as nations announce investments in nuclear as part of a major shift away from fossil fuels. (Oliver Stone has even made a documentary about it!) This is all very exciting, of course, and the projects we have underway at Serva are further energizing this work. Last month, we officially launched the medical isotope branch of our company, advanced to the semi-finalist round of the Arizona Innovation Challenge, and were selected to present at the White Hat investor conference, part of Arizona Bioscience Week. Recently, colleague Neil O'Leary and I had the honor of presenting at Penn State University for the annual TRTR conference (that stands for National Organization of Test, Research and Training Reactors). There we made some great connections with nuclear companies interested in our novel fuel methods, isotope technologies, and digital tools. Currently, we're gearing up for the American Nuclear Society (ANS) winter conference, where we'll be presenting a paper on our new digital technologies. Specifically, we'll be illustrating how bringing in modern PCBs (Printed Circuit Boards) will create dramatic improvements in lab measurements for us and the greater scientific community—simplifying hardware systems to the point that we will be able to run an entire commercial nuclear reactor on a single desktop computer! The ANS conference is scheduled to take place November 13-17, right here in Phoenix. And, last but not least, we're hiring! To sustain this momentum and push us even further, we must continue growing as a company. We're looking for talented, committed people who understand and want to be part of our mission. I've said it before, and I'll say it again: Nuclear is awesome, and the future is bright. Onward... Ian |
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The need for Actinium-225: Serva Medical poised to dramatically increase supply of 'rarest drug on Earth' |
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With almost 10 million deaths each year, cancer is the second-leading cause of death globally. In the United States, alone, nearly 2 million cancer cases are reported annually. The good news is that treatment advances, which have led to improved cancer outcomes, are quickly gaining speed. After 100 years of using radiation externally to treat cancer, there is a revolution in the field of radiation oncology. Serva Medical is part of this revolution. Using our suite of Smart Nuclear Materials, we are developing new, more efficient pathways to produce life-saving radioisotopes that can be used as part of a targeted antibody therapy to treat a variety of diseases, including cancer. Rather than bombarding the body with external radiation, causing damage to healthy tissue, targeted alpha therapy can now selectively direct radiation—destroying cancer cells almost exclusively. |
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When linked to target molecules (e.g., antibodies and peptides), radioisotopes become a powerful radiopharmaceutical that targets and destroys specific cancer cells while leaving healthy cells untouched. Actinium-225 is a targeted alpha therapy isotope emitting alpha particles that deliver a short-range but high-energy radiation, offering an ideal combination that kills cancer cells without harming nearby healthy cells. Pharmaceutical companies are investigating Actinium-225 as a potential treatment for several of the deadliest cancers worldwide that were responsible for over 6 million deaths in 2019. Early studies show tremendous promise—in some cases, effectively eliminating cancer in as little as three treatments. |
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Image showing advanced stage cancer in remission after just three doses of Actinium-225 (Ac225) antibody therapy. |
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The problem with Actinium is supply Increasingly known as “the rarest drug on Earth,” most of the supply of Actinium-225 has come from processing nuclear waste. Recent efforts have focused on using high-power accelerators to develop new production methods, but to date there are no major commercial producers outside of national labs. Serva Energy has built specialized tools and techniques for mapping the nucleogenesis of radioisotopes in commercial reactors over extended periods of time. Now we are applying these same innovative technologies with great effect to identifying new production methods for the most critically needed isotopes, including Actinium-225. We are excited about our work in this field and invite you to learn more. Dr. Sarah Jones Vice President for Serva Medical |
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What are micoreactors, and why should we be building them? |
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Next-generation nuclear reactors, including microreactors, are coming soon, and it's worth learning more about the transformative potential of this technology. The microreactor was the subject of a recent blog post by longtime journalist Hal DeKeyser, who explains nuclear energy issues and opportunities for non-scientists. (If you're not yet reading The Nuclear Blog, we recommend you start!) The Nuclear Blog describes the microreactor as "the smallest, most mobile nuclear energy plant" ever developed. In fact, microreactors are so small that one can fit in the back of a pickup truck. Providing "targeted, remote, primary and supplement power," writes DeKeyser, "these units would be able to operate on or off the grid, creating as much as 20 megawatts of energy that can supplement existing power sources, be used for a targeted application, or work independently. They could be moved around with relative ease, making them useful for heavy energy demand applications like major disasters, remote military bases, quick demand industrial energy – or just to supplement what’s already in place. Microreactors are not here yet, but they are expected to be developed within the next few years, perhaps earlier than 2025." With demand for electricity projected to increase by 40 percent over the next 25 years, microreactors could help meet this demand. “Microreactors have capabilities that make them compatible with other emerging energy producers, including solar and electric cars. For example, microreactors could be the solution to recharging electric vehicles along the interstate system, providing a quick, reliable, broadly used, and ubiquitous source of energy to keep those EVs moving.” To learn more about microreactors, read the full article at The Nuclear Blog. |
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