Positron emission tomography (PET) has traditionally been performed with short-lived standard radionuclides such as fluorine-18 and carbon-11, which are highly suitable for radiolabeling chemistry. However, with the growing range of available radiotracers, interest in non-standard radionuclides has significantly increased. These radionuclides, with their longer half-lives, allow the study of slower biochemical processes and pave the way for multimodal imaging and theranostics – the integration of diagnosis and therapy into a single approach.

The efficient production of these radionuclides in high activity amounts, as well as their chemical and radionuclidic purity, are a crucial prerequisite for radiopharmaceutical research and development. The working group Non-Standard-Radionuclides, led by Dr. Ingo Spahn, focuses on the cyclotron-based production of suitable radionuclides, investigates their physical and chemical properties, and develops optimized radiochemical separation processes to make these radionuclides medically applicable.

Key research areas include the development of target materials and technical facilities for irradiation, sample preparation, as well as radiochemical separation and purification methods. The group also engages in fundamental research on nuclear data measurements and the synthesis of radiometal complexes for labeling pharmaceutical compounds. These efforts aim to develop innovative radiotracers for PET imaging and theranostic applications, enabling more precise diagnostics and targeted therapies.