In 1970, MURR scientist Dr. George Leddicotte gave the first courtroom testimony on murder trial evidence using neutron activation analysis.
In 1986 the first experiments that were performed led to the development of Quadra met and Thera Sphere, which were later approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for helping fight against bone and liver cancer respectively.
Work began in 2006 on a 25,000 sq ft (2,300 m2) addition to house laboratories, classrooms and offices to advance interdisciplinary research, education and treatment of patients.
It is estimated that as of March 2012, MURR supports approximately 400 faculty members and 150 graduate students representing more than 180 departments from more than 100 international universities, as well as around 40 federal and industrial laboratories each year.
A cyclotron that will supply mid-Missouri with isotopes for PET imaging and support additional research, development, and clinical trials has been installed.
Data generated by the laboratory are typically used by archaeologists to study issues relating to provenance (geological source) that facilitate understanding of trade and exchange in prehistory.
On the one hand, many prominent scientists have graduated from this program and benefited from the in-depth, hands-on experience afforded by MURR's unique combination of high neutron flux and proximity to a flagship campus (the University of Missouri).