ISU nuclear reactor turns 50 years old

Happy birthday to Agnes, ISU’s nuclear reactor. It’s been converting matter to create energy for 50 years and can keep running without fuel for more than 200 years.

AGN 201 Nuclear Reactor, which is located in the lower level of the Lillibridge Engineering Laboratory is proudly one of three reactors still operating in the United States.

“This is a renovation that has been desperately needed over the past many years, the previous labs was really outdated and we really needed to upgrade it with proper equipment,” said Mark Austin, ISU chief Department of Biological Sciences.

ISU received the reactor from Idaho National Laboratory in 1965.