JAX- Press Releases for The Jackson Laboratory

MassGeneral, Jackson researchers find clues to common birth defect in gene expression data

Tue, 7 Feb 2012 08:41:12 -0500

February 6, 2012/Boston, Mass./Bar Harbor, Maine--Researchers at MassGeneral Hospital for Children (MGHfC), The Jackson Laboratory and other institutes have uncovered 27 new candidate genes for congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH), a common and often deadly birth defect.

Their sophisticated data-filtering strategy, which uses gene expression during normal development as a starting point, offers a new, efficient and potentially game-changing approach to gene discovery.

The Jackson Laboratory announces Gilbane Inc. as contractor for Connecticut facility

Thu, 2 Feb 2012 16:23:04 -0500

February 1, 2012/Bar Harbor, Maine -- Jackson Laboratory officials announced that Gilbane Inc., a New England construction company with a district office in Glastonbury, Conn., has been selected as program manager for The Jackson Laboratory's proposed genomic medicine facility in Farmington, Conn.

"We're delighted to be working with a company with a long record of excellent service to clients throughout Connecticut," said Jackson President and CEO Edison Liu, M.D., "as well as 139 years of experience developing major construction projects throughout the U.S."

Connecticut Bond Commission approves Jackson Laboratory funding

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 16:23:04 -0500

January 31, 2012/Bar Harbor, Maine -- The Connecticut Bond Commission yesterday approved $291 million in state borrowing to construct The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine in Farmington, Conn.

In October, the Connecticut General Assembly voted in favor of sending the bond proposal to the Commission, with the Governor signing the final agreement for the project on Jan. 5.

New grants for Maine State Science Fair at The Jackson Laboratory from the Betterment Fund, Sam L. Cohen Foundation and Dorr Foundation

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 14:45:39 -0500

January 26, 2012/Bar Harbor, Maine -- The Jackson Laboratory has received grants totaling $55,000 from The Betterment Fund, the Sam L. Cohen Foundation and the Dorr Foundation to support the Maine State Science Fair.

The Betterment Fund grant provides $10,000 a year to support the Fair for three years. Grants of $15,000 from the Dorr Foundation and $10,000 from the Sam L. Cohen Foundation will help to fund the 2012 Fair on March 24 at The Jackson Laboratory. The funding will support the Laboratory’s goals of expanding participation by schools and students throughout the state.

Jackson Laboratory researchers find mutation causing neurodegeneration

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 10:22:24 -0500

January 19, 2012/Bar Harbor, Maine -- A Jackson Laboratory research team led by Professor and Howard Hughes Medical Investigator Susan Ackerman, Ph.D., has discovered a defect in the RNA splicing process in neurons that may contribute to neurological disease.

The researchers found that a mutation in just one of the many copies of a gene known as U2 snRNAs, which is involved in the intricate processing of protein-encoding RNAs, causes neurodegeneration.

Final agreement reached in Connecticut for new Jackson Laboratory research institute

Thu, 5 Jan 2012 10:55:18 -0500

January 5, 2012/Bar Harbor, Maine -- An agreement for The Jackson Laboratory to create a new institute for genomics-based personalized medicine in Connecticut has gained final approval, Connecticut Gov. Dannel P. Malloy announced today.

The announcement follows the Oct. 26 approval by the Connecticut General Assembly of $291 million in bond funding and subsequent negotiations among the Laboratory, Connecticut Innovations, the University of Connecticut and the UConn Health Center.

"We’re delighted that we could reach an agreement so quickly for JAX Genomic Medicine," said Jackson President and CEO Edison Liu, M.D. "We’ve been working hard over these weeks of negotiations, and the process has helped us build strong working relationships with our new colleagues."

Charles M. Rice, Ph.D., and David J. Roux elected to Jackson Laboratory Board of Trustees

Thu, 1 Dec 2011 11:18:51 -0500

December 1, 2011/Bar Harbor, Maine -- The Jackson Laboratory Board of Trustees elected two new members at its November meeting: Charles M. Rice, Ph.D., and David Jude Roux.

Jackson Laboratory researchers uncover steps in synapse building, pruning

Wed, 16 Nov 2011 14:32:21 -0500

November 16, 2011/Bar Harbor, Maine -- Like a gardener who stakes some plants and weeds out others, the brain is constantly building networks of synapses, while pruning out redundant or unneeded synapses. Researchers at The Jackson Laboratory led by Assistant Professor Zhong-wei Zhang, Ph.D., have discovered a factor in synapse-building, also showing that the building and pruning processes occur independent of each other.

Mammals are born with functioning but not-yet-developed brains. After birth, external stimuli and internal programs continue to shape the connections between neurons, known as synapses, and the formation of networks of synapses known as neuronal circuits. Some grow stronger, some grow weaker, redundant connections are eliminated, and so on. Such "plasticity," the ongoing refinement of neural connections and networks, continues throughout life, albeit more subtly with time and maturation.

Antibody, tag-teamed with receptor, knocks out viral infections inside cells

Mon, 14 Nov 2011 15:13:25 -0500

November 14, 2011/Bar Harbor, Maine -- Antibodies are a primary line of defense against viruses, flagging them for destruction by our immune system. Much of this defense was thought to occur outside of infected cells. Researchers have now identified a way that antibodies can neutralize viruses within cells.

Influenza viruses infect the cells lining surfaces of the respiratory tract. Once they have entered these cells, the viruses hijack the genetic machinery to produce more copies of their own RNA and generate more viruses.

The Arthur Vining Davis Foundations award $100K grant for innovative Jackson Laboratory science teacher enrichment program

Wed, 9 Nov 2011 14:29:07 -0500

November 9, 2011/Bar Harbor, Maine -- The Arthur Vining Davis Foundations have awarded a $100,000 grant to fund The Jackson Laboratory’s innovative Teacher Sabbatical Internship Program.

The program provides mathematics and science teachers in Maine public secondary schools hands-on research experience during a semester at The Jackson Laboratory. The new grant will help to support the next four years of teacher internships.

The Jackson Laboratory appoints LuAnn Ballesteros to government relations post

Wed, 9 Nov 2011 10:34:56 -0500

November 9, 2011/Bar Harbor, Maine -- LuAnn Ballesteros of Glenburn, Maine, is the new director of The Jackson Laboratory’s Office of Government Relations, responsible for interactions with federal, state and local officials.

Ballesteros has been a senior development officer with the Laboratory since 2005. Previously she worked 14 years for Bangor Hydro Electric Co., rising to corporate communications and government affairs officer.

In her new role, Ballesteros succeeds Jill Goldthwait, a former Maine State senator who has served the Laboratory for eight years in the government relations position. Goldthwait will work with Ballesteros for a transitional period and retire in spring 2012.

New York Genome Center launches with The Jackson Laboratory, 10 other top biomedical institutions

Thu, 3 Nov 2011 16:17:25 -0400

November 3, 2011/New York, N.Y.--The Jackson Laboratory joins 10 top New York medical and academic research institutes in founding the New York Genome Center (NYGC). Launched at a ceremony in New York today, the NYGC will become one of the largest genomic facilities in North America, providing Jackson researchers with access to vastly increased sequencing capability and expertise.

"The Jackson Laboratory is proud to be a founding member of the New York Genome Center," said the Laboratory’s incoming president and CEO, Edison Liu, M.D. "The Center will bring valuable new resources to Jackson scientists, who have been pioneers in the complex genetics of mammalian systems such as the mouse, as it is used to understand the basic mechanisms of disease."

Connecticut legislature approves funding for new Jackson Laboratory research institute

Thu, 27 Oct 2011 06:38:42 -0400

October 26, 2011/Bar Harbor, Maine -- The Connecticut legislature Wednesday night approved $291 million in bond funding to build a new Jackson Laboratory center for personalized medicine and systems genomics in the state.

"Today’s vote is a strong vote of confidence in The Jackson Laboratory’s scientific research and contributions to better medicine," said Jackson President and CEO Edison Liu, M.D. "By combining Jackson’s strengths in genetics and genetic technologies with the clinical and scientific expertise of Connecticut institutions, we will accelerate the development of new medical tests and treatments tailored to each patient's unique genetic makeup."

The research center, to be known as The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine, will be the next phase of Gov. Dannel Malloy’s Bioscience Connecticut initiative to build the biomedical industry in Connecticut. JAX Genomic Medicine will focus on complex genetics of human disease through the intensive use of computational strategies and animal model systems.

The Jackson Laboratory recognized with Environmental Leader Award

Thu, 20 Oct 2011 10:29:57 -0400

October 19, 2011/Bar Harbor, Maine -- The Bar Harbor Chamber of Commerce presented its 2011 annual Environmental Leader Award to The Jackson Laboratory to recognize the institution’s ongoing efforts to promote a healthy environment and conserve energy.

After accepting the award at the Chamber’s annual meeting on Oct. 14, Jackson Laboratory Senior Director for Facilities Services John Fitzpatrick noted that the Laboratory’s concern for the environment makes good sense from a business perspective "as well as for being a good citizen of Bar Harbor and Maine. It’s especially gratifying being recognized for our efforts at the local level."

State of Connecticut recruiting The Jackson Laboratory for new research institute

Fri, 30 Sep 2011 11:16:32 -0400

September 30, 2011/Bar Harbor, Maine -- Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy and state economic development leaders have invited The Jackson Laboratory (JAX) to launch a new center for personalized medicine and systems genomics in Connecticut.

The research center, to be called The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine, would accelerate the development of new medical treatments tailored to each patient's unique genetic makeup. Plans call for the center to employ 300 people within the first 10 years, and 600 employees within 20 years.

The Jackson Laboratory receives $33 million for research to understand gene function and disease

Fri, 30 Sep 2011 11:16:32 -0400

September 29, 2011/Bar Harbor, Maine -- The National Institutes of Health (NIH) have awarded grants totalling more than $33 million to The Jackson Laboratory for three projects that will help to speed disease research.

The grant makes the Laboratory a key participant in an international project to create one of the largest libraries of mammalian genetic function data.

Over the next five years, the Jackson NIH-funded researchers will extensively test and generate data about mice with disrupted genes to gain clues about human diseases, in the second phase of the Knockout Mouse Project, called KOMP2. Researchers make knockout mice by disrupting the function of individual genes across the mouse genome.

NIH awards $25.1 million to The Jackson Laboratory to continue genome database

Fri, 30 Sep 2011 11:16:31 -0400

September 28, 2011/Bar Harbor, Maine -- Five-year National Institutes of Health grants totaling $25,229,822 to The Jackson Laboratory will provide ongoing support for the Mouse Genome Database (MGD), the world's largest publicly accessible information source about the laboratory mouse.

The Jackson Laboratory generates and maintains open-source databases, including MGD, that are available to the worldwide research community, driving discovery in cancer, diabetes, osteoporosis, Alzheimer’s disease and many other areas critical to human health. Known collectively as Mouse Genome Informatics, these databases get close to nine million online hits per week.

The Jackson Laboratory and Husson University team up

Fri, 30 Sep 2011 11:16:31 -0400

September 28, 2011/Bar Harbor, Maine -- Husson University will be offering Masters of Business Administration (MBA) classes at The Jackson Laboratory beginning Jan. 17.

The arrangement calls for the College of Business to provide Laboratory employees and Bar Harbor-area residents the opportunity to earn an MBA degree on site, said Dr. Tom Hutchison, Husson executive director of academic affairs and director of the School of Business and Management.

The Jackson Laboratory appoints Edison Liu, M.D., as new president and CEO

Fri, 26 Aug 2011 07:21:30 -0400

August 26, 2011/Bar Harbor, Maine -- Edison Liu, M.D., an international leader in cancer biology, genomics, human genetics and molecular epidemiology, will be the new president and chief executive officer of The Jackson Laboratory.

Dr. Liu is the founding executive director of the Genome Institute of Singapore, building it in less than 10 years from a staff of three into a major research institute of 27 laboratory groups and a staff of 270. Before moving to Singapore in 2001, he was the scientific director of the National Cancer Institute's Division of Clinical Sciences in Bethesda, Md.

Jeffrey Dunn, M.D., Neal Milch, J.D., and Charles E. Hewett, Ph.D., elected to Jackson Laboratory Board of Trustees

Tue, 23 Aug 2011 08:48:10 -0400

August 23, 2011/Bar Harbor, Maine--The Jackson Laboratory has appointed three new members to its Board of Trustees: Jeffrey Dunn, M.D., Neal Milch, J.D., and Charles E. Hewett, Ph.D. The trio was elected at the Laboratory’s 82nd annual meeting here earlier this month.

The newly elected chair of the Board, Leo Holt, said, "I am excited by the quality of the individuals who have joined us." He noted that Laboratory's next president and CEO, once appointed, will also become a member of the Board, ex officio.

Philadelphian Leo Holt elected Jackson Laboratory Board of Trustees chairman

Tue, 23 Aug 2011 08:48:09 -0400

August 18, 2011/Bar Harbor, Maine -- Leo A. Holt of Philadelphia is the newly elected chairman of The Jackson Laboratory's Board of Trustees. He replaces New York investment executive Brian Wruble, who completed two terms as chairman.

Holt is president of Holt Logistics Corp., a marine terminal and logistics systems developer and operator, with facilities in Philadelphia and Gloucester City, N.J.

Holt has participated in the nonprofit biomedical research laboratory's governance since 2004. He was elected to Jackson's Board of Trustees in 2007 and became vice chair in February 2011.

Brian Wruble retires as Jackson Laboratory Board of Trustees chairman

Thu, 18 Aug 2011 13:08:25 -0400

August 18, 2011/Bar Harbor, Maine -- Investor Brian Wruble has retired as chairman of The Jackson Laboratory's Board of Trustees after two terms, during which he worked to expand the institution's national presence.

Wruble, who has been associated with the nonprofit biomedical research laboratory for more than 20 years, was a general partner of Odyssey Partners, L.P., and was a founder of Odyssey Investment Partners, LLC, both private investment firms in New York. The newly elected chairman is Leo Holt, president of Holt Logistics Corp. in Philadelphia.

The Jackson Laboratory named among 2011 "Best Places to Work in Maine"

Mon, 15 Aug 2011 08:13:22 -0400

August 15, 2011/Bar Harbor, Maine -- The Jackson Laboratory is among the "Best Places to Work in Maine" for 2011. This statewide survey and awards program was designed to identify, recognize and honor the best places of employment in Maine, benefiting the state's economy, its workforce and businesses.

The "Best Places to Work in Maine" awards program was created in 2006 and is a project of the Maine State Council of the Society for Human Resource Management and Best Companies Group.

"The Jackson Laboratory is honored to be recognized as among Maine's best places to work," says Jackson Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Chuck Hewett. "We're gratified that our employees value the efforts we make to provide good jobs with good salaries and benefits, including opportunities for advancing education and training."

Maine Governor Paul LePage visits The Jackson Laboratory

Thu, 11 Aug 2011 08:44:03 -0400

August 1, 2011/Bar Harbor, Maine -- Maine Governor Paul LePage and other state officials visited The Jackson Laboratory on August 4 to see how one of Maine's largest employers is generating jobs on its own campus and throughout the state.

Gov. LePage, Senior Economic Advisor John Butera, DECD Commissioner George Gervais and others toured the nonprofit biomedical research facility and met with Executive Vice President and COO Chuck Hewett, Ph.D., Chair of Research Bob Braun, Ph.D., and Vice President for Advancement and External Relations Mike Hyde.

"The Jackson Laboratory has a long history in our state, generating more than 1,200 jobs in Hancock County and another 2,100 throughout Maine," said Governor LePage. "I commend the level of commitment their staff has had in our state."

Jackson Laboratory researcher and collaborators propose new treatment approach to SMA

Tue, 9 Aug 2011 11:32:52 -0400

August 9, 2011/Bar Harbor, Maine -- Jackson Laboratory Research Scientist Cat Lutz, Ph.D., and collaborators at Columbia University and other laboratories, have demonstrated a new approach to treating the devastating neuromuscular disease known as spinal muscular atrophy (SMA).

SMA is the most frequently inherited cause of infant mortality, affecting about four out of every 100,000 births. Infants experience progressively severe, and ultimately fatal, muscle degeneration and weakness. The disease has been traced to mutations in the motor neuron (SMN1) gene that reduce levels of a protein known as SMN.

"It was clear that if we could restore levels of SMN protein in patients with SMA," Lutz said, "we could reduce the severity of the disease, but it was not clear exactly when SMN should be administered."

Scientists rank The Jackson Laboratory one of the "Best Places to Work in Academia"

Fri, 1 Jul 2011 11:32:51 -0400

July 1, 2011/Bar Harbor, Maine -- The Jackson Laboratory was voted among the top 15 "Best Places to Work in Academia" in the United States for 2011. The poll was conducted by The Scientist, a magazine for people working in the life sciences.

Readers participating in the survey cited the Laboratory's infrastructure and environment as well as peer interactions as the institution's greatest workplace strengths. The Laboratory was ranked number 13 of 40 top U.S. academic research institutions, a list that also includes Princeton University, the National Cancer Institute and Children's Hospital in Boston.

The Jackson Laboratory receives $2.3 million research grant to support genetics database vital to understanding infant health, disease

Fri, 1 Jul 2011 11:32:54 -0400

July 1, 2011/Bar Harbor, Maine -- A National Institutes of Health grant of $2,282,840 awarded to Jackson Laboratory researchers will support the expansion of a database vital to scientists studying normal infant development and the errors in gene expression that lead to birth defects, cancer and other diseases.

The Gene Expression Database (GXD) for Mouse Development allows researchers worldwide to examine patterns of gene expression in the mouse, the most important experimental model for humans, in order to better understand biologically important molecular networks and to explore the genetic programs that underlie normal development and disease.

Scripps Translational Science Institute joins Jackson's National Tumor Consortium to accelerate targeted cancer therapies

Wed, 29 Jun 2011 09:38:09 -0400

June 29, 2011/Bar Harbor, Maine--The Scripps Translational Science Institute (STSI) of San Diego, Calif., has joined a national consortium of research institutions headed by The Jackson Laboratory that is building a library of primary human tumors with the goal of developing highly targeted cancer therapies.

In its role as a consortium member, STSI will provide solid human tumor samples to Jackson, which will graft them into mouse models for scientific study. STSI scientists will then have access to the models to conduct research on how to better understand and treat cancer, including the potential for tumor-specific therapies.

Jackson will perform the initial genomic characterization of the tumors and will share this data with all participating institutions. STSI is a major research collaboration involving the nonprofit Scripps Health system and The Scripps Research Institute, both of San Diego.

Jackson Laboratory veterinary pathologist named associate editor of new aging journal

Fri, 10 Jun 2011 13:30:23 -0400

June 10, 2011/Bar Harbor, Maine--Aging is inevitable, but scientists around the world are working to understand and postpone the deleterious processes, or pathobiology, of aging. Jackson Laboratory veterinary pathologist John Sundberg, D.V.M., Ph.D., Diplomate, A.C.V.P., is an associate editor of a new scientific journal, Pathobiology of Aging & Age-Related Diseases, published by Stockholm-based Co-Action Publishing.

The journal aims to provide an interdisciplinary venue for pathology-based manuscripts that focus on the physiological function of aging in laboratory mice and other preclinical mammalian models. From this unique position the journal provides a forum for researchers across disciplines to communicate pathology data that might be of less interest in other journals more focused on generic aging or specific scientific disciplines.

Pathobiology of Aging & Age-Related Diseases is an open-access journal available free online at http://www.pathobiologyofaging.net.

The Jackson Laboratory partners with NCI, UC Davis to speed new cancer treatments to clinical trials

Fri, 10 Jun 2011 13:28:51 -0400

June 10, 2011/Bar Harbor, Maine--About nine out of 10 new cancer drugs successfully clear preclinical development hurdles, but then they fail in human clinical testing. The Jackson Laboratory is partnering with a component of the National Cancer Institute and The UC Davis Cancer Center to help change that outcome.

The partnership brings together The UC Davis Cancer Center, The Jackson Laboratory and the National Cancer Institute’s (NCI) Center for Advanced Preclinical Research (CAPR), all under the umbrella of NCI’s Advanced Technology Partnerships Initiative (ATPI). SAIC-Frederick facilitates translational research and development partnerships in cancer and AIDS for the ATPI as part of its longstanding operations and technical support contract with NCI.

Jackson Laboratory cancer researcher Kevin Mills, Ph.D., promoted to associate professor

Wed, 8 Jun 2011 13:26:26 -0400

June 8, 2011/Bar Harbor, Maine -- Kevin Mills, Ph.D., a Jackson Laboratory cancer researcher who studies fundamental processes relating to the stability of the genome, has been promoted to associate professor.

Mills’ research is focused on understanding the mechanisms that manage genome instability, and determining how failure of these mechanisms leads to diseases, including cancer or immunodeficiency. He is pioneering a new concept, "genetic chemotherapy," to develop precisely targeted cancer treatments that selectively induce cancer cell self-destruction.

The Jackson Laboratory ends Florida expansion bid

Fri, 3 Jun 2011 13:39:51 -0400

June 3, 2011/Bar Harbor, Maine -- The Jackson Laboratory announced today that it will withdraw its request for $100 million in state start-up funding for an expansion facility in Sarasota County, Florida. Laboratory officials based their decision on the lack of funds in Florida's severely constrained state budget, which provides only limited funding for economic development activities.

Charles E. Hewett, Jackson's executive vice president, said that senior economic development officials were supportive but did not have access to sufficient funds to ensure a successful launch of the proposed research institute. "We were invited to submit a much-reduced proposal to the Florida Innovation Fund, but the amount available in that fund now, and the uncertainty of future funding, made such a venture too speculative to undertake responsibly."

What is a laboratory mouse? Jackson, UNC researchers reveal the details

Sun, 29 May 2011 13:00:00 -0400

May 29, 2011/Bar Harbor, Maine -- Mice and humans share about 95 percent of their genes, and mice are recognized around the world as the leading experimental model for studying human biology and disease. But, says Jackson Laboratory Professor Gary Churchill, Ph.D., researchers can learn even more "now that we really know what a laboratory mouse is, genetically speaking."

Churchill and Fernando Pardo-Manuel de Villena, Ph.D., of the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, leading an international research team, created a genome-wide, high-resolution map of most of the inbred mouse strains used today. Their conclusion, published in Nature Genetics: Most of the mice in use today represent only limited genetic diversity, which could be significantly expanded with the addition of more wild mouse populations.

Jackson Professor John Eppig elected to National Academy of Sciences

Tue, 3 May 2011 13:01:30 -0400

May 3, 2011/Bar Harbor, Maine -- Today The Jackson Laboratory learned that Professor John Eppig, Ph.D., a pioneer in developmental and reproductive biology, has been elected to the National Academy of Sciences, one of the top honors in American science.

Since joining The Jackson Laboratory in 1975, Eppig has made significant insights in the development of eggs in mice and other mammals. His research successes include achieving the first complete in vitro development of mammalian oocytes into a complete organism, the famous mouse known as "Eggbert."

His work has contributed substantially to in vitro fertilization and other reproductive technologies that are helping infertile women in clinics today.

High school students compete in Maine State Science Fair at The Jackson Laboratory

Tue, 3 May 2011 09:55:36 -0400

May 3, 2011/Bar Harbor, Maine -- Students from high schools across the state competed in the Maine State Science Fair at The Jackson Laboratory on Saturday. The top winners were from Greely High School in Cumberland Center and Watershed School in Rockland.

Michelle Kahn of Greely High won the grand prize for her project on factors that contribute to the breakdown of oil. Michelle has been invited to participate in The Jackson Laboratory's historic Summer Student Program, where she will conduct an independent research project under the mentorship of a Jackson Laboratory scientist.

Jackson Laboratory team finds genetic clue to "emergency" glaucoma

Mon, 2 May 2011 11:33:53 -0400

May 2, 2011/Bar Harbor, Maine -- Jackson Laboratory researchers and their collaborators have reported their discovery of a gene implicated in an acute and severe form of glaucoma known as angle-closure glaucoma (ACG). The gene's activity points to previously unsuspected mechanisms involved in both ACG and infant eye development.

Glaucoma is one of the most common eye diseases and a leading cause of blindness. An increase in fluid pressure in the eye (intraocular pressure or IOP) leads to damage to the optic nerve, causing loss of vision. Most people with the more familiar chronic (open-angle) glaucoma don't even know they have the disease until it's detected in an eye exam. The condition develops slowly and can usually be managed with eye drops and laser surgery.

Jackson Laboratory lung cancer researcher awarded $429,933 National Cancer Institute grant

Wed, 13 Apr 2011 13:36:04 -0400

April 13, 2011/Bar Harbor, Maine -- A new two-year, $429,933 grant from the National Cancer Institute will allow a Jackson Laboratory research scientist to explore a promising new approach to studying lung cancer.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States, and nearly half of all lung tumors are classified as adenocarcinomas. According to Julie Wells, Ph.D., a Jackson Laboratory research scientist, "Pulmonary adenocarcinoma has a high mortality rate, due in part to the high frequency of metastasis to the other lung and distant sites within the body."

Bangor Savings Bank Foundation presents $10,000 to The Jackson Laboratory for the Maine State Science Fair

Mon, 11 Apr 2011 12:55:02 -0400

April 11, 2011/Bar Harbor, Maine -- The Bangor Savings Bank Foundation is boosting science education in Maine with a $10,000 award to The Jackson Laboratory to support the upcoming Maine State Science Fair.

Sheryl Edgecomb, vice president and Ellsworth branch manager of Bangor Savings Bank, and Rose White, vice president for retail services, presented the award at a brief ceremony at the Laboratory on Friday, April 8.

Researchers find eye development error causing cataracts, glaucoma

Thu, 24 Mar 2011 13:30:45 -0400

March 24,2011/Bar Harbor, Maine -- A Jackson Laboratory research team, working in collaboration with researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston, show that RNA granules--key players in messenger RNA (mRNA) processing--can affect eye development, leading to juvenile cataracts in humans and mice.

The research, published in the March 25 issue of Science, also demonstrates the first connection between RNA granules and glaucoma, as the humans and mice in the study developed glaucoma.

President Obama praises Jackson Laboratory science education initiative

Fri, 11 Mar 2011 11:16:56 -0500

March 11,2011/A Jackson Laboratory -- designed program to teach the fundamentals of genetics has drawn praise from President Barack Obama during a March 8 visit to TechBoston Academy, one of six schools in the New England area piloting the Geniverse software.

According to the Concord Consortium, the organization that is coordinating the pilot use of the software in classrooms, the president commented to the TechBoston students, "I'm calling for investments in educational software that's as compelling as the best video game. I want you guys stuck on a video game that's teaching you something other than just blowing something up."

Jackson Laboratory researchers detect and block early-stage glaucoma processes

Tue, 8 Mar 2011 09:00:50 -0500

March 8, 2011/Bar Harbor, Maine -- Jackson Laboratory researchers and their collaborators report they have designed a new analysis technique that detects early stages of glaucoma in mice, and have successfully blocked the disease by targeting some of those early molecular events.

Glaucoma, a leading cause of blindness, affects more than 4 million Americans, at least half of whom don’t even know they have the disease. Though the best-known symptom of glaucoma is elevated pressure inside the eye, blinding damage to retinal ganglion cells and the optic nerve can occur in patients with normal intraocular eye pressure. Earlier detection and treatment could therefore have a powerful impact on preventing blindness due to glaucoma.

The Jackson Laboratory to locate in Sarasota County with presence in Tampa

Wed, 2 Mar 2011 09:03:50 -0500

March 2, 2011/Sarasota, Florida -- The Jackson Laboratory announced today that it will partner with the University of South Florida (USF), Sarasota Memorial Health Care System, Sarasota County and the Gulf Coast Community Foundation to develop genetics-based treatments for heart disease, Alzheimer’s and diabetes at a new research facility in Sarasota County.

The project, to be known as The Jackson Laboratory -- Florida, will be housed in a 120,000-square-foot facility in Sarasota County and will also occupy laboratories and offices within the USF Health complex in Tampa. The Gulf Coast Community Foundation and other community agencies will spearhead the creation of a major biomedical village, including research, clinical medicine, education, and residential and retail activity, that will grow up around the new Jackson facility.

Jackson Laboratory, USF in discussions with leaders in Hillsborough, Sarasota counties but remain interested in Collier County

Thu, 13 Jan 2011 08:30:00 -0500

January 13, 2011/Bar Harbor, ME -- The Jackson Laboratory and the University of South Florida have begun preliminary discussions with community and business leaders in Hillsborough County and Sarasota County about alternative locations for the proposed Jackson Laboratory -- Florida. Jackson and USF officials indicated that their interest in a Collier County location remains strong.

Last week Jackson withdrew its application to Enterprise Florida for $50 million in state funds to build a facility in eastern Collier County so it could open a fresh round of discussions about the project with newly elected Gov. Rick Scott.

Blame the "chaperone": Jackson Laboratory researchers find mutation in "chaperone" proteins that lead to major developmental abnormalities

Fri, 7 Jan 2011 10:19:11 -0500

January 7, 2011/Bar Harbor, Maine -- A Jackson Laboratory research team led by Professor Patsy Nishina, Ph.D., has identified a mutation in a gene that’s essential for correct protein-processing in cells. Defects in protein folding are associated with a variety of abnormalities and diseases.

Cells don’t come prefabricated, with pieces plunked down and tacked together like modular homes offloaded from trucks. The structural proteins that give cells shape, tubulin and actin (think beams and girders), are themselves subject to essential processing before they become part of the assembly. Proteins must be folded in very specific ways to function properly, and depend on "chaperone" proteins to help them in the process. Defects in the chaperone proteins lead to disruption of the folding process, which adversely affects cellular development and growth.

Jackson Laboratory withdraws application for Florida expansion, will align project with Gov. Scott's economic goals

Tue, 4 Jan 2011 11:58:51 -0500

January 4, 2011/Bar Harbor, Maine -- The Jackson Laboratory has withdrawn its state application for an expansion in Collier County and will work with newly elected Florida Gov. Rick Scott to align the project with his goals for growing the state’s economy.

"We’re really excited by the new governor and his message of economic opportunity," said Charles E. Hewett, Ph.D., Jackson’s executive vice president and chief operating officer. "We think our project fits right in with his bold economic-development vision of creating 700,000 new jobs in seven years."

Jackson scientists find new mouse model for heritable cerebrovascular diseases

Tue, 4 Jan 2011 11:54:49 -0500

January 4, 2011/Bar Harbor, Maine -- Researchers at The Jackson Laboratory have discovered a new mouse model for the devastating neurological condition known as focal ischemia in the brain, as well as other heritable cerebrovascular diseases. In focal ischemia, an insufficient blood supply to the brain can cause blindness, brain damage, stroke or cardiorespiratory arrest.

The new mouse model was discovered in the research colony of Jackson Professor Derry Roopenian. Research Assistant Tom Sproule was investigating why some of the lab’s mice, bred for studies relating to tissue rejection, were dying prematurely. Post-mortem examination revealed holes in the brain, similar to damage found in human patients with hereditary cerebrovascular diseases.

The Jackson Laboratory and Tufts University announce new Ph.D. track in mammalian genetics

Mon, 20 Dec 2010 14:00:01 -0500

December 20, 2010/Bar Harbor, Maine and Boston, Mass. -- The Jackson Laboratory (JAX), Sackler School of Graduate Biomedical Sciences at Tufts, and Tufts University School of Medicine have unveiled a new mammalian genetics track for Ph.D. students. The joint program offers students in-depth research and training at both JAX and Tufts. Combining the faculty and resources of the genetics program at Tufts, with its emphasis on human disease, and the faculty and resources at JAX, with its emphasis on mouse models and bioinformatics, is expected to help address the growing international need for expertise in mammalian genetics.

Cancer breakthroughs and more: Top 10 Jackson news items for 2010

Thu, 16 Dec 2010 09:08:43 -0500

December 15, 2010/Bar Harbor, Maine -- Significant findings in the genetics of cancer, new resources for muscular dystrophy research and JAX® Mice in space: these are just some of the top Jackson Laboratory stories that made news in 2010.

Jackson researchers use computing power to predict disease-related genes

Thu, 16 Dec 2010 09:05:41 -0500

December 15, 2010/Bar Harbor, Maine -- In research that could fast-track determining which genes are associated with a disease or physical trait, Assistant Professor Matt Hibbs and colleagues at The Jackson Laboratory and Princeton University have demonstrated a computing technique that "mines" genetic data for relevant genes.

Using modern computing horsepower and the huge amounts of genetic and genomic data generated by high-throughput technologies, Hibbs used computing algorithms to analyze gene relationships on a genome-wide scale, construct functional gene networks and identify genes associated with diseases and other phenotypes.

New buses for Jackson Laboratory commuter routes

Thu, 16 Dec 2010 09:02:18 -0500

December 15, 2010/Bar Harbor, Maine -- The Jackson Laboratory, in conjunction with Downeast Transportation, is getting two new replacement buses for its commuter fleet.

The new coaches will serve commuters living on the Bangor and Cherryfield routes starting the week of Dec. 20. The Laboratory also operates routes to and from Franklin and Ellsworth each weekday.

According to Jill Goldthwait, Jackson’s director of government relations, the purchase was possible thanks to federal transportation funding secured by U.S. Rep. Mike Michaud, with matching funds from the State of Maine and the Laboratory. "Rep. Michaud recognized the Laboratory’s need to provide safe, reliable transportation for employees, some of whom live more than an hour from Bar Harbor," Goldthwait said. "And he appreciated the added environmental benefits of taking dozens of cars off the road."

Jackson Laboratory CEO Woychik to depart for NIEHS

Tue, 30 Nov 2010 09:55:13 -0500

November 30, 2010/Bar Harbor, Maine -- Jackson Laboratory President and CEO Richard Woychik, Ph.D., announced today that he will leave the institution in January 2011 to accept a new position as deputy director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) in Research Triangle Park, N.C.

"It has been a great honor to serve The Jackson Laboratory," Woychik said. "I will miss the many fine people who have contributed to the Laboratory’s success during my time here, and I am confident that the institution will continue to grow and prosper."

Brian Wruble, chairman of the Jackson Board of Trustees, said, "We owe a tremendous debt to Rick Woychik. Under his leadership, the Laboratory has achieved a great deal, both scientifically and operationally. The Laboratory is financially stronger today than ever before in its history. We wish Rick the very best of luck in the future. He will be sorely missed."

Of worms and women: can the 'biological clock' be reset?

Tue, 30 Nov 2010 09:52:35 -0500

November 19, 2010/Bar Harbor, Maine -- Fertility in women steeply declines in the later years of their reproductive lives. This has long been attributed solely to the aging and depletion of the egg cells themselves. But what if other biological factors have major influences?

In this week's edition of the journal Nature, Drs. Kevin Flurkey and David Harrison of The Jackson Laboratory were invited to analyze research published by Princeton University scientists Shijing Luo, Colleen Murphy and colleagues. Working with the laboratory roundworm C. elegans, the Princeton researchers demonstrated that with age, hormone-like signals (some known and some as yet unidentified) reduce the quality of oocytes (egg cells) and increase chromosomal abnormalities. These signaling changes can be interrupted in C. elegans, resulting in a longer viable reproductive life.

Drs. Flurkey and Harrison, who study aging processes, note that similar signaling changes occur in mammals, raising the possibility of future interventions that could delay reproductive aging in women, once the mechanisms of reducing oocyte quality are fully defined.

The Jackson Laboratory coordinating 2011 Maine State Science Fair

Tue, 30 Nov 2010 09:50:20 -0500

November 16, 2010/Bar Harbor, Maine -- The Jackson Laboratory is taking over coordination of the Maine State Science Fair as part of its mission to educate the next generation of scientists. The 2011 Fair will take place on April 2 at Mount Desert Island Regional High School in Bar Harbor.

Jackson Director of Educational Programs Randy Smith, Ph.D., says that the Laboratory took on the coordination role when the Maine State Science Fair, with a history of more than six decades, languished for lack of funding. "We feel strongly that Maine cannot be the only state without a science fair," Smith says.

$630,000 challenge grant to establish ALS mouse model repository at The Jackson Laboratory

Wed, 3 Nov 2010 16:26:47 -0400

November 3, 2010/Bar Harbor, Maine -- Researchers seeking ways to treat and cure amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) will soon have better access to mouse models of the disease. A $315,000 challenge grant from The Tow Foundation will enable The Jackson Laboratory to establish a national ALS mouse model repository.

The new grant provides half the $630,000 required to cover the costs of creating the repository, with the balance of funding to be provided by the ALS Association and the ALS Therapy Alliance.

"This repository will acquire new ALS mouse models and rapidly deploy them to the scientific community," explains Michael E. Hyde, Jackson’s vice president for advancement and external relations. "The Tow Foundation challenge leveraged generous gifts from ATA and ALSA. Together, these three donors will help speed the development of new ALS therapies."

Eggs under arrest: Jackson Laboratory team finds out 'who dunnit'

Thu, 14 Oct 2010 14:33:49 -0400

October 14, 2010/Bar Harbor, ME -- A research team led by Jackson Laboratory Professor John Eppig, Ph.D., has discovered molecular and cellular players in ovaries that control the timing of egg development in mammals. Precocious completion of these key processes can be disastrous for fertilization and birth of babies.

In research published in the journal Science, Eppig, along with visiting investigator Dr. Meijia Zhang of the State Key Laboratory for Agrobiotechnology in Beijing, reported their discovery of an exquisitely orchestrated sequence of signals between the oocytes, the cells that become eggs, and other nearby cells within ovarian follicles.

Jackson Laboratory scientist receives special $2.7M NIH grant for innovative cancer research

Thu, 30 Sep 2010 10:34:59 -0400

September 30, 2010/Bar Harbor, ME - A young Jackson Laboratory scientist has been recognized among the nation's most innovative and promising new investigators. Cancer researcher Chengkai Dai, M.D., Ph.D., is one of this year's New Innovator Award recipients announced today by Dr. Francis S. Collins, director of the National Institutes of Health.

The award provides $2,695,000 over five years for Dai's research. The NIH New Innovator Award program is designed specifically to support the research ideas of unusually creative investigators early in their careers.

Retired Jackson scientist Douglas Coleman wins 2010 Lasker Award, 'America's Nobel'

Tue, 21 Sep 2010 10:59:39 -0400

September 21, 2010/Bar Harbor, ME - Jackson Laboratory Professor Emeritus Douglas Coleman, Ph.D., a pioneer in obesity and diabetes research, will share the prestigious Albert Lasker Basic Medical Research Award with Dr. Jeffrey Friedman of Rockefeller University and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. The Lasker Awards, bestowed by the Albert and Mary Lasker Foundation of New York, are widely regarded as the "Nobel Prizes of America."

"I have always viewed the Lasker Award as one of the most esteemed biomedical awards, and it is with great pride that I accept this honor," Coleman said. "I was especially delighted to learn that I would be sharing this award with Jeffrey Friedman, who always acknowledged my earlier contributions to our field."

In the 1970s, Coleman conducted a series of experiments that led him to propose the existence of a "satiety factor" that would account for obesity and type 2 diabetes in certain laboratory mice. Friedman later identified that factor as a hormone that regulates appetite and body weight and named it leptin, from leptos, the Greek word for "thin."

The scientists' work showed that chemical and genetic factors -- not just willpower and eating habits -- are involved in obesity, opening possibilities for future pharmaceutical treatments. Their work also demonstrated that fat is not simply a passive energy-storage site, as previously thought, but is an endocrine organ that produces important hormones.

Greg Carter, Ph.D., joins Jackson Laboratory faculty

Wed, 15 Sep 2010 16:44:39 -0400

September 15, 2010/Bar Harbor, ME - Greg Carter, Ph.D., who started his career as a nuclear physicist, now explores the frontiers of biology. Carter, a computational biologist and mathematical physicist, joins The Jackson Laboratory as assistant professor.

As an undergraduate, Carter studied astronomy, but he was drawn to the more analytical, math-heavy particle physics. Carter completed his Ph.D. and three post-doctoral appointments in nuclear physics, and ultimately brought his computational skills to analyzing genetic data at the Institute for Systems Biology (ISB) in Seattle.

"I was analyzing particle accelerator data," he says, "sorting through the thousands of data points created by collisions. Analyzing genetic data from microarrays is similar. And there is such open space for progress in genetics and genetic modeling."

He specializes in creating genetic models based on large-scale genetic data sets, which can then be validated in the laboratory. His work at ISB focused on yeast, but he is excited about his move to the Laboratory and a different genetic challenge.

Jackson, JANVIER collaborate to provide mouse cryo technology

Mon, 6 Sep 2010 16:43:12 -0400

September 6, 2010/The Jackson Laboratory and JANVIER - The Jackson Laboratory (Bar Harbor, Maine and Sacramento, California) and JANVIER SAS in Le Genest Saint Isle, France, are collaborating to provide researchers in Europe with easy access to The Jackson Laboratory’ s JAX® Sperm Cryo Kit which is based on Jackson’s patent-pending, breakthrough mouse sperm cryopreservation technology.

Florida Gulf Coast University, Jackson to formalize collaboration

Tue, 24 Aug 2010 12:34:45 -0400

August 20, 2010/Fort Meyers, FL - Dr. Wilson Bradshaw, president of Florida Gulf Coast University, and Dr. Charles Hewett, vice president and chief operating officer of The Jackson Laboratory, announced today an agreement designed to explore areas of common interest between the university and the research institute.

Bradshaw indicated that teaching excellence at FGCU in areas that complement the work at The Jackson Laboratory--Florida makes academic program development an immediate area of common interest. Possible programs of study at the university include bioinformatics, genomics and genetic counseling. In addition, collaboration could lead to expansion of existing programs in clinical laboratory science and public affairs. The university also will consider potential programs of study in other areas related to personalized medicine.

Hewett said, "The Jackson Laboratory is delighted to join FGCU in this exciting new partnership. Together we will create new degree programs in genomics and science for students from this region, and we will explore collaborative research efforts, sharing of human and physical resources and opportunities for student internships."

In addition to new programs of study, collaborative research, sharing of resources, and internships, the agreements include the possibility for JAX--Florida representation on FGCU advisory boards.

Jackson Laboratory, Athleticode announce partnership at Florida Biomedical Village

Wed, 18 Aug 2010 17:20:44 -0400

August 18, 2010/Bar Harbor, Maine, and Larkspur, Calif. -- The Jackson Laboratory (JAX) and Athleticode Inc. will explore the genetic basis of athletic injuries under an agreement announced today. Athleticode will be the first for-profit company to join the proposed Jackson Laboratory--Florida Biomedical Village in Collier County, working to establish both research and corporate facilities.

"Athleticode will be a terrific addition to the Biomedical Village," commented Charles E. Hewett, Ph.D., vice president and COO of The Jackson Laboratory. "They are a young, start-up company with vision and great promise, and they're truly enthusiastic about establishing a major business here. Their entrepreneurial spirit is just what we need to help make the Village a success."

"We expect more companies to join us in the near future," said Hewett. "We are definitely gaining momentum." The University of South Florida and Edison State College have also announced plans to locate in the Village.

Highres Biosolutions develops automated process for Jackson Laboratory genotyping

Mon, 16 Aug 2010 18:24:22 -0400

August 16, 2010/Woburn, MA - A highly accurate, automated process for managing the genotyping of laboratory mice is headed to Bar Harbor, Maine. In response to the increased demand for using transgenic mouse models and the requisite genotyping of such animals, The Jackson Laboratory will be implementing a HighRes Biosolutions automated process to improve the maintenance of their extensive and diverse mouse colonies.

Researchers announce first mouse model for typhoid fever research

Mon, 16 Aug 2010 18:21:05 -0400

August 16, 2010/Bar Harbor, ME - Researchers including Jackson Laboratory Professor Leonard Shultz have announced the first mouse model for typhoid fever. The model will allow researchers to study typhoid fever and to develop new treatments and vaccines to battle this serious threat to health in the developing world.

Jackson researchers find single-gene culprit for some inherited anemias

Wed, 11 Aug 2010 16:32:03 -0400

August 11, 2010/Bar Harbor, ME - Jackson Laboratory Professor Luanne Peters, Ph.D., and colleagues discovered that the mouse mutant Nan, a model for severe inherited anemia, carries a single-gene mutation, but one that selectively interferes with a cascade of events critical to normal red blood cell formation.

The discovery could point the way to future treatments for beta thalassemia, sickle cell disease or other blood disorders, and appears to represent a previously unknown mechanism of inherited disease.

Understanding DNA breakage and repair mechanisms may lead to better cancer treatment strategies

Tue, 10 Aug 2010 10:16:52 -0400

August 9, 2010/ Bar Harbor, ME - In research that could steer future strategies for treating cancer and other diseases, Jackson Laboratory researchers revealed new details about DNA breakdown and repair mechanisms.

In a paper published in Nature Immunology, Assistant Professor Kevin Mills, Ph.D., and Postdoctoral Associate Muneer Hasham, Ph.D., demonstrate a vital balance between a DNA-repair protein called XRCC2 and a DNA-breaking enzyme known as activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AICDA) in immune system cells called B cells.

In a game of biological Boggle, DNA is often broken and re-shuffled to present the best targeted antibodies as the body's immune system works to protect itself from pathogens. One protein does the breaking (AICDA) and one does the repairing (XRCC2).

Being the highly evolved system that it is, one would think that the damage done by AICDA would be pretty targeted, isolated to very specific regions in antibody-producing genes.

But researchers at JAX have seen that it's often more like a "shotgun blast," creating a lot of DNA breaks at many locations in the genome, and the high fidelity repair function of XRCC2 is then essential for repairing off-target breaks.

It goes to follow, then, that when the repair protein is missing or deficient, DNA damage continues unchecked. In addition to possible immunodeficiency problems, too much damage might lead to cancers such as lymphoma and leukemia.

While damage is not usually a good thing, Jackson researchers theorize that if we actively provoke increased DNA damage in cancer cells, it would lead to catastrophic failure and cell death. By giving the dysfunctional balance between damage and repair an added push in malignant cells, it might be possible to eliminate those cells with little effect on healthy cells and tissue.

National Council Awards honor scientist, volunteer, philanthropists

Wed, 28 Jul 2010 22:20:38 -0400

July 28, 2010/Bar Harbor, ME - The Jackson Laboratory's National Council honored an internationally renowned reproductive biologist, a Maine volunteer and a philanthropist couple at the 2010 National Council Dinner on July 16.

Jackson Professor John Eppig received the Award for Scientific Achievement. Dr. Eppig came to the Laboratory in 1975 and is today widely acknowledged as a pioneer in reproductive biology. His many honors include the 2007 Pioneer in Reproduction Research Lectureship Award from the Frontiers in Reproduction Research Program and the 2010 Carl G. Hartman Award from the Society for the Study of Reproduction.

The Award for Distinguished Service went to longtime volunteer Marie Gerrity of Cumberland, Maine, wife of Jackson Laboratory Trustee Peter Gerrity. As a member of the Maine Chapter of the National Council, Mrs. Gerrity organizes and hosts events, recruits new volunteers and serves as an ambassador for the Laboratory in southern Maine.

Edwin and Cynthia Johnson of Philadelphia and Blue Hill, Maine, were honored with the Award for Philanthropy for their decades of service and giving. Mr. Johnson was a Laboratory Trustee for more than a decade and helped to establish several giving programs. As founding members of the Socity for Discovery, the Johnsons have named The Jackson Laboratory as beneficiary of numerous planned gifts.

Jackson Laboratory, USF announce new partnership in Collier County

Wed, 21 Jul 2010 10:24:18 -0400

July 21, 2010/Bar Harbor, ME - Today The Jackson Laboratory announced that its first medical partner for the new research and education village in Collier County will be the University of South Florida, one of the nation’s fastest-growing biomedical research universities.

Jackson and USF will collaborate on a variety of initiatives to lead the nation toward personalized medicine, in which disease prevention and treatment are based on a person’s unique genetic makeup, or genome. The partnership will result in new research gains and education programs, as well as providing better health care and increased economic opportunities for the citizens of Collier County and Southwest Florida.

Four Hancock County Students in 2010 Summer Student Program

Fri, 9 Jul 2010 16:46:40 -0400

July 9, 2010/Bar Harbor, ME - Four of the 32 high school and college students participating in The Jackson Laboratory's Summer Student Program this year are "home-grown talent" from Hancock County.

Lukas Jordan of Ellsworth, Emily Miller of Lamoine, Rebecca O'Donnell of Southwest Harbor and Chloe Taub of Castine were selected from more than 300 applicants, representing top high school and college students from across the nation.

For 85 years, the Laboratory's Summer Student Program has given high school and college students the chance to conduct biomedical research and develop laboratory skills under the mentorship of a Jackson Laboratory scientist. About 80 percent of the program's more than 2,200 alumni have gone on to careers in medicine or biomedical research.

The Summer Student Program also boasts three Nobel Prize-winning alumni: Drs. David Baltimore and Howard Temin, who shared the 1975 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, and 2009 Laureate Jack Szostak.

The students live at Highseas, a Jackson Laboratory residence overlooking Frenchman Bay, and throughout the summer participate in hikes, camping and rafting trips and other outdoor activities.

Joel Graber promoted at The Jackson Laboratory

Fri, 2 Jul 2010 16:44:21 -0400

July 2, 2010/Bar Harbor, ME - Joel Graber, Ph.D., a physicist-turned-computational scientist at The Jackson Laboratory, has been promoted to associate professor.

Since arriving at The Jackson Laboratory in 2002, Dr. Graber's research has involved computational analysis of DNA and RNA, focusing specifically on how different versions, or isoforms, of a gene are selected. In collaboration with several other Laboratory researchers, Dr. Graber also helped establish the Center for Genome Dynamics, which seeks to better understand chromosome evolution, organization and function through a systems genetics approach.

"The focus of my research over the past 10 years has been computational approaches to understanding gene regulation and interaction," he says. "My lab's work enables investigation of the mechanisms and downstream consequences of changes in gene expression and processing."

Recently Graber and other Jackson scientists, including cancer researcher Kevin Mills, Ph.D., discovered telltale variations in mRNA processing -- the cell's protein-building function -- that correspond to cancer. The team showed that they could distinguish among similar tumor subtypes with at least 74 percent accuracy; the current standard in molecular diagnostics is about 10 percent. The findings hold promise for significantly improving molecular cancer diagnostics in the clinic.

Maine Cancer Foundation awards research grants to Jackson Laboratory scientists

Fri, 18 Jun 2010 11:01:06 -0400

June 17, 2010/Bar Harbor, ME - The Maine Cancer Foundation has awarded grants totaling $186,500 to three Jackson Laboratory cancer researchers studying leukemia, lymphoma and lung and brain cancers.

The MCF announced the new grants at its annual meeting on June 15. At that meeting, the MCF also presented its 2010 Carroll Award to The Jackson Laboratory, given each year for "extraordinary efforts to advance the path to a cancer-free future."

The individual grants are:

- $90,000 to Associate Research Scientist Julie Wells, Ph.D., for "MicroRNA expression during lung tumor progression"
- $90,000 to Assistant Professor Kyuson Yun, Ph.D., for "Notch signaling in medulloblastoma initiation and cancer stem cell maintenance "
- $67,500 to Assistant Professor Kevin Mills, Ph.D., for "Genetic chemotherapy: inducing leukemia and lymphoma cell self-destruction"

Jackson researchers to be honored with Maine Cancer Foundation Carroll Award

Fri, 11 Jun 2010 10:59:33 -0400

June 11, 2010/Bar Harbor, ME - The Jackson Laboratory's team of cancer researchers will be the 2010 recipients of Maine Cancer Foundation's annual Carroll Award.

Named in honor of Dr. Ron Carroll, who brought the specialty of oncology to Maine and was a founder of the Maine Cancer Foundation, this award acknowledges "extraordinary efforts to advance the path to a cancer-free future."

The Jackson Laboratory was founded as a cancer research institute in 1929, and in 1983 was among the first institutions to be designated a Cancer Center by the National Cancer Institute. Over its history, Jackson Laboratory scientists have made major advances in understanding the molecular mechanisms of cancer cells and cancer tumor formation.

MPBN documentary highlights Michael J. Fox Foundation, The Jackson Laboratory

Thu, 3 Jun 2010 11:26:17 -0400

June 3, 2010/Bar Harbor, ME - A new documentary about the devastating effects of Parkinson's disease, produced by the Maine Public Broadcasting Network, highlights the work of The Jackson Laboratory and the funding it receives from the Michael J. Fox Foundation in advancing Parkinson's research.

MPBN producer Dan Lambert explains that the concept for "Easing the Burden: Parkinson's Disease" resulted from the outpouring of response that the public broadcasting network received following the broadcast of "Caring for the Caregiver," a documentary about the challenges of caring for loved ones with dementia and Alzheimer's disease.

Michael J. Fox agreed to be part of the program, given that the Michael J. Fox Foundation funds and supports Parkinson's research including work by the Maine-based Jackson Laboratory.

Cat Lutz, Ph.D., associate director of The Jackson Laboratory's Genetic Resource Science Mouse Repository, appears in the documentary. Lutz explains that the funding from the Michael J. Fox Foundation is vital to the Laboratory's role in speeding the development of new treatment options for Parkinson's disease.

"Easing the Burden: Parkinson's Disease" airs on MPBN-TV on Monday, June 7 at 9 p.m. and Thursday, June 10 at 8:30 p.m., and may be viewed online after June 7.

Japanese patent infringement lawsuit dismissed

Thu, 3 Jun 2010 11:31:11 -0400

June 3, 2010/Bar Harbor, ME - The U.S. District Court in the Northern District of California has granted summary judgment of no patent infringement in favor of The Jackson Laboratory.

The lawsuit, brought in December 2008 by a Japanese organization, the Central Institute for Experimental Animals (CIEA), alleged that a severely immunodeficient mouse strain, developed by Jackson Professor Leonard Schultz, infringed a mouse strain patented by CIEA .

The June 1 summary judgment decision, which is a ruling by the Court without the necessity of a trial, concluded that the Jackson mouse does not infringe CIEA's patent either literally or under the legal doctrine of equivalents.

Maine researchers find possible clue to osteoporosis, obesity

Thu, 3 Jun 2010 09:14:07 -0400

June 2, 2010/Bar Harbor, ME - In findings that could lead to new treatment options for osteoporosis and obesity, a research team led by Maine scientists has identified a protein that controls the amount of marrow fat inside bones.

"As we age," says Cheryl Ackert-Bicknell, Ph.D., a postdoctoral associate at The Jackson Laboratory who was part of the research team, "the red marrow found in long bones is replaced with yellow or fatty marrow. In patients who have suffered an osteoporotic fracture, there are more marrow-residing fat cells as compared to age-matched patients who have never fractured."

In a paper published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the research team led by Clifford Rosen, M.D., of Maine Medical Center Research Institute (MMCRI) showed that mice lacking a protein called nocturnin had less marrow fat and increased bone mass. Likewise, mice with too much nocturnin showed more marrow fat and reduced bone mass.

Jackson successfully raises matching gifts for $1 million challenge

Wed, 19 May 2010 12:36:54 -0400

May 19, 2010/Bar Harbor, ME - The Jackson Laboratory has raised $1 million in gifts to match the $1 million challenge gift made by one of its trustees last year.

In March 2009, geneticist and author Weslie Janeway of Cambridge, England, and New York made a $1 million "challenge gift" to The Jackson Laboratory to recruit and support new scientists.

The successful completion of the challenge gift campaign was announced at the Laboratory's Board of Trustees meeting. "I had expected this campaign to take two years," Ms. Janeway said. "I'm most gratified that the Laboratory has met its goal not only in terms of raising the matching funds, but also in attracting new donors and encouraging current supporters to make additional gifts."

The completion of the challenge ahead of schedule, Ms. Janeway added, "highlights both the extent of the need and the growth in new support for the Laboratory."

Passed Florida budget includes funding for proposed Jackson Laboratory research facility

Mon, 3 May 2010 10:57:02 -0400

May 3, 2010/Tallahassee, Fla. - The Florida legislature has voted to approve the state's budget, which includes a $50 million appropriation for the Innovation Incentive Program as part of a three-year commitment of $130 million to establish a branch of The Jackson Laboratory in Collier County. The budget will become final when Governor Charlie Crist signs it into law.

Jackson's John Eppig to receive top award from Society for the Study of Reproduction

Wed, 28 Apr 2010 09:52:05 -0400

April 27, 2010/Bar Harbor, Maine -- Jackson Laboratory Professor John Eppig, a pioneer in the field of reproductive biology, was chosen as the 2010 recipient of the Carl G. Hartman Award, the highest honor bestowed by the Society for the Study of Reproduction (SSR).

The formal presentation of the award will take place at the SSR's annual meeting in Milwaukee, Wisc., on Friday, July 30.

"I am stunned, excited, and honored to receive the Carl G. Hartman Award," Eppig said. "It is a great privilege to join the ranks of the distinguished previous recipients. My thanks to the SSR, not only for recognizing my research in this way, but also for being a pillar of my professional career. Many outstanding scientists are members of the SSR; my colleagues in reproduction research at The Jackson Laboratory and I have learned much from them and thoroughly enjoy their friendship."

Florida legislature recommends funding for proposed Jackson Laboratory research facility

Tue, 27 Apr 2010 09:48:01 -0400

April 26, 2010/Tallahassee, FL - Florida House and Senate conferees today recommended a $50 million appropriation for the Innovation Incentive Program as part of a three-year commitment of $130 million to establish a branch of The Jackson Laboratory in Collier County. The recommendation will become final if the full Legislature approves it later this week and then the Governor signs it.

Rick Woychik, Ph.D., president and CEO of the nonprofit Laboratory, based in Bar Harbor, Maine, said the promise of state funding is "an important first step" in advancing this new project.

"We're delighted that Florida's draft budget includes support for a new branch of The Jackson Laboratory," Woychik said. "If approved by the Governor, the final budget will be an essential vote of confidence that will help us attract the institutional partnerships and the matching funds we would need for the project to proceed." Approval by the Laboratory's Board of Trustees will also be required, Woychik noted.

Da-Ting Lin joins Jackson faculty

Wed, 21 Apr 2010 16:47:10 -0400

April 19, 2010/The Jackson Laboratory - Da-Ting Lin, Ph.D., who studies the intricate processes that enable neurons to communicate in the brain, is joining The Jackson Laboratory faculty as an assistant professor.

Lin's research focuses on the molecular mechanisms that regulate changes in the strength of the connections, or synapses, between neurons. He combines cutting-edge imaging techniques with molecular, cellular and electrophysiological methods, an approach that could provide new insights into learning, memory and the reward mechanisms in the brain involved in drug addiction.

Jackson partners with UC Davis to make primary human tumors available for research

Wed, 21 Apr 2010 16:46:14 -0400

April 14, 2010/The Jackson Laboratory - Researchers developing new cancer therapies depend on access to primary human tumors. To meet this need, The Jackson Laboratory (JAX) has teamed up with the University of California, Davis (UC Davis), to form a new consortium aimed at building a publicly available library of primary human tumors for research and drug development.

"Next-gen" DNA sequencer comes to The Jackson Laboratory

Wed, 14 Apr 2010 08:42:58 -0400

April 9, 2010/The Jackson Laboratory - The next generation of DNA sequencers has arrived in Maine. The Jackson Laboratory has a new Illumina "next-gen" sequencer that will greatly improve researchers' ability to zero in on minute variations in genetic code that spell disease.

Until recently, the Laboratory relied on a sequencer that uses what is known as a Sanger sequencing method, which yields sequences of around 1,000 bases. Now, with the Illumina sequencer, Jackson technicians are producing sequences of millions of bases at a time. The Illumina technology is about 35,000 times more powerful than the Sanger method, allowing researchers to discover what's happening across entire genomes.

"Having this new technology provides us with the ability to dramatically speed up the discovery of mutations," says Eric Antoniou, who manages the Laboratory's gene-expression services. "With the old sequencer, pinpointing a mutated gene took breeding hundreds of mice and sifting through many small candidate sequences to find the mutation. It was very expensive and very slow--it could take years--and researchers sometimes still couldn't find the mutation and would have to give up. With the Illumina, the same process can take only a few weeks."

Jackson partners with UC Davis to form primary tumor resource

Tue, 13 Apr 2010 16:15:48 -0400

April 14, 2010/The Jackson Laboratory and UC Davis - Researchers developing new cancer therapies depend on access to primary human tumors. To meet this need, The Jackson Laboratory (JAX) has teamed up with the University of California, Davis (UC Davis), to form a new consortium aimed at building a publicly available library of primary human tumors for research and drug development.

JAX launched the new consortium in early 2009 through its initial research partnership with UC Davis. Under a new agreement, UC Davis will supply JAX with solid human tumors, which will then be expanded in mice and made available for research nationally.

Located at The Jackson Laboratory's JAX--West facility in Sacramento, Calif., the Primary Human Tumors Consortium seeks to partner with other cancer centers to speed the development of this resource. "By joining the Consortium," Hewett says, "members will contribute to and share in a tumor library that will vastly exceed what any one institution could build on its own. This shared resource ultimately will greatly expand research capacity for all Consortium partners while preserving varied and valuable tumors for future research." Interested researchers and institutes should contact Susie Airhart, JAX senior director for strategic alliances.

JAX® Mice headed for space

Mon, 5 Apr 2010 10:39:11 -0400

-Date Correction-

April 5, 2010/The Jackson Laboratory (Bar Harbor, ME) - JAX® Mice from The Jackson Laboratory are part of the current Space Shuttle crew. Following a successful liftoff this morning, the Space Shuttle Discovery includes an experiment to help scientists understand the long-term effects of space environment on the immune system’s ability to fight infection.

The 16 mice are from a strain of mouse used in transplantation studies and immunology research (scientific name: B6.SJL-Ptprca Pepcb/BoyJ). They were transported to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida in January to acclimate them to the "NASA bars" Shuttle diet, which is formulated to prevent its floating while in zero gravity.

Science meets music: John Bapst students visit The Jackson Laboratory

Mon, 5 Apr 2010 10:36:45 -0400

April 5, 2010/The Jackson Laboratory (Bar Harbor, ME) - Research shows that music education can enhance learning of math and science. On Wednesday, March 31, students of John Bapst Memorial High School in Bangor visited The Jackson Laboratory for a combination of arts and sciences.

Jackson supporter Glenn Close is first publicly named female to have DNA sequenced

Tue, 16 Mar 2010 12:55:42 -0400

March 16, 2010/Bar Harbor, ME - Award-winning actress Glenn Close, a supporter of The Jackson Laboratory, had her DNA completely sequenced, making her the first publicly named female to do so. Illumina, Inc., of San Diego conducted the sequencing using their Genome Analyzer technology.

Ms. Close and her husband, David Shaw -- a life trustee of The Jackson Laboratory and former chairman of its board of trustees--are active advocates for the nonprofit research institution.

D'Ambrosio, Evnin elected to Jackson Laboratory Board of Trustees

Tue, 16 Mar 2010 12:54:48 -0400

March 16, 2010/Bar Harbor, ME - The Jackson Laboratory has elected two of the nation's leading technology executives to its Board of Trustees: Louis J. D'Ambrosio of Haddonfield, N.J., and Anthony Evnin, Ph.D., of New York, N.Y.

LAVFW presents $25,000 gift to The Jackson Laboratory for cancer research

Tue, 16 Mar 2010 12:42:29 -0400

March 16, 2010/Bar Harbor, ME - The Ladies’ Auxiliary to the Veterans of Foreign Wars has supported cancer research at The Jackson Laboratory since 1947. On March 13, Maine State President Lynn Dunton and other LAVFW officials presented a $25,000 donation in honor of the late Frances Booth, a past National President of the organization. Members of Ms. Booth’s family, including her son, Donald Pushaw, were at the Laboratory for the presentation.

Jackson Laboratory receives $1.44m federal grant for Duchenne muscular dystrophy models

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 16:13:47 -0500

March 12, 2010/Bar Harbor, ME - A $1.44 million grant from the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) to The Jackson Laboratory will expand research resources devoted to finding a cure for Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) and other neuromuscular disorders, the office of U.S. Representative Mike Michaud announced.

Rep. Michaud, with support from U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree, worked with House leadership to ensure that the funding would be included in the U.S. Defense appropriations for this year. His inspiration: Brian and Alice Denger, whose two sons have DMD. Patrick, 17, and Matthew, 15 attend Biddeford High School. The Dengers have been frequent advocates for research funding on Capitol Hill, and have visited The Jackson Laboratory, meeting with Associate Professor Greg Cox, Ph.D., who studies DMD and other neurodegenerative disorders.

Jackson researchers report new clue to normal retinal vascular development

Mon, 1 Mar 2010 15:09:17 -0500

March 2, 2010/Bar Harbor, ME - The LAMA1 gene helps to orchestrate the exquisitely intricate processes that build a healthy retina. Jackson Laboratory researchers have pinpointed a variation in the mouse version of LAMA1 that disrupts this process, causing eye abnormalities.

During normal development, a network of blood vessels grows to supply blood to the developing eye; this network recedes by the time a baby is born. Professor Patsy Nishina, Ph.D., and colleagues at French and U.S. research institutes report in the Journal of Biological Chemistry that mutations in Lama1 (the mouse version of the human gene) disrupt retinal development and can also lead to random blood vessel growth (intravitreal neovascularization) inside the eye.

According to Richard Smith, M.D., a Jackson ophthalmologist and a coauthor of the paper, "Development of the retina is highly complex, involving many different factors, any one of which can go wrong. Anything we can learn about which genes control retinal development can offer potential avenues to treat or even prevent eye diseases."

Jackson researchers find genetic links to condition that causes kidney damage in diabetics

Wed, 17 Feb 2010 14:20:30 -0500

February 18, 2009/The Jackson Laboratory - Albuminuria, or proteinuria is a condition in which urine contains an abnormal amount of the protein albumin, and is a sign of kidney damage resulting from diabetes or other medical conditions. A Jackson Laboratory research team led by Research Scientist Ron Korstanje, Ph.D., has discovered two genes that are associated with albuminuria in both aging mice and human patients with diabetic kidney disease.

A leap forward in cancer diagnostics: Gene transcript variations that signal cancer

Tue, 16 Feb 2010 16:41:49 -0500

February 17, 2010/The Jackson Laboratory - Researchers at The Jackson Laboratory have discovered telltale variations in mRNA processing -- the cell's protein-building function -- that correspond to cancer. The team showed that they could distinguish among similar tumor subtypes with at least 74 percent accuracy; the current standard in molecular diagnostics is about 10 percent.

"Microarray diagnostics have been with us for 20 years, but so far haven't lived up to their promise," Dr. Mills says. "The profiles that come off microarrays don't accurately detect most cancer cases, and even when they do, they don't categorize them correctly."

The Jackson team found that the molecular profiles, which basically indicated which genes were "on" or "off," miss an important factor: subtle differences in genes that orchestrate the processes in other genes.

Maine Ahead magazine features "Private Tour" of The Jackson Laboratory

Fri, 12 Feb 2010 11:49:22 -0500

February 12, 2010/The Jackson Laboratory - The cover story in the February-March issue of Maine Ahead magazine is a "Private Tour" feature on The Jackson Laboratory, a detailed look behind the scenes at the nonprofit biomedical research institution.

"This is not a place for pessimists," writer Henry Garfield begins the article. "Peek into any laboratory off any corridor of the Jackson Lab--also known as 'JAX'--and you will find people energetically devoting their days to finding solutions to some of our most complex medical problems."

Researchers in Japan, Bar Harbor find 25 potential leukemia targets

Fri, 12 Feb 2010 11:45:53 -0500

February 12, 2010/Bar Harbor, ME -- Researchers in Japan, in collaboration with Jackson Laboratory Professor Leonard Shultz, Ph.D., have figured out how to identify molecules that are present in leukemia stem cells but not in normal blood stem cells. The 25 molecules thus discovered are each a potential target for treating acute myeloid leukemia (AML).

The discovery may help scientists develop effective treatments for rare leukemia stem cells, which are not only resistant to chemotherapy but thought to be responsible for high rates of often fatal relapse. In the introduction to their study, published in Science Translational Medicine, the researchers note, "Despite advances in cancer therapeutics and supportive care, long-term outcomes of patients with AML remain dismal. Even after complete remission in which the whole-body leukemia burden is reduced to nearly undetectable values, most patients eventually succumb to disease relapse."

The Jackson Laboratory salutes Alan Davis

Fri, 15 Jan 2010 12:05:11 -0500

January 15, 2010/Bar Harbor, ME - Alan Davis of Walpole, Maine, was one of The Jackson Laboratory’s most dedicated and long-serving supporters. Mr. Davis was a former board member, honorary trustee, and at the time of his death, on Jan. 14, he was chair of the Maine Chapter of the National Council, the Laboratory’s volunteer organization.

Jackson Laboratory President and CEO Rick Woychik, Ph.D., said, "Alan had an intense interest in our mission and in helping us to get our message out, so that the world could better understand the Laboratory’s impact on improving health and alleviating suffering."

State energy efficiency grant of $1M awarded to The Jackson Laboratory

Fri, 8 Jan 2010 13:44:42 -0500

Bar Harbor, Maine -- The Jackson Laboratory has received a $1 million grant frhttp://www.jax.org/about/green.htmlom the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, an East Coast greenhouse cap-and-trade program, to help pay for an energy-efficient heating conversion. As reported in the Bangor Daily News, the Laboratory plans to replace its oil-burning heating system with biomass burners, a $4.4 million project.

The Jackson Laboratory, a nonprofit biomedical research institution and one of Maine's largest employers, has received the Northeast Efficiency Partnership Award and is recognized as a regional energy conservation leader.

Read about green initiatives at The Jackson Laboratory

Jackson research team finds protein controlling chromosome recombination "hotspots"

Thu, 31 Dec 2009 14:00:00 -0500

December 31, 2009/Bar Harbor, ME - Jackson Laboratory scientists have found that a protein, Prdm9, turns certain locations on chromosomes into "hotspots" of recombination activity during reproduction.

Genetic recombination, in which chromosomes "cross over" and essentially exchange segments during meiosis, is a fundamental part of sexual reproduction. It ensures greater genetic diversity and helps with the separation of chromosomes to ensure that eggs and sperm have only one copy of each chromosome, instead of the pairs found in almost all other kinds of cells.

Recombination is an extraordinarily precise process. The segments exchanged have to be exactly the same length, without even one extra base, so that they don't introduce disastrous "frame-shift" mutations (like skipping a button when putting on a shirt: all the rest of the buttons will be matched with the wrong holes).

Scientists have observed so-called hotspots on chromosomes, where recombination occurs most frequently, but lacked understanding of how they develop and operate. In a paper published in Science Express (online December 31, 2009), Jackson Laboratory Professor Ken Paigen and colleagues provide some of the first insights into what regulates recombination hotspots.

Jackson aging research on Nature, Science "top 10" lists of 2009 scientific news

Wed, 23 Dec 2009 14:08:14 -0500

December 23, 2009/Bar Harbor, ME - Two of the world's most influential science journals have tapped a Jackson Laboratory research report for their year-end "top 10" lists of the most significant scientific breakthroughs for 2009, across all sciences.

In July, Jackson Laboratory Professor David Harrison and collaborators reported in the journal Nature that rapamycin, a drug used to prevent organ rejection in human transplant recipients, can significantly extend the lifespan of mice. Harrison's team fed rapamycin to mice late in their life--600 days of age--and extended their lifespan by 9 to 14 percent, making rapamycin the first pharmacological intervention proven to lengthen mammalian lifespan.

This research was included in Nature's year-end tally of the top 10 science stories most accessed by their readers. The editors of Science also selected the Jackson Laboratory report among the top 10 scientific breakthroughs of the year.

Mary Anne Handel of The Jackson Laboratory named AAAS Fellow

Thu, 17 Dec 2009 14:00:32 -0500

Washington D.C. -- Mary Ann Handel of The Jackson Laboratory has been awarded the distinction of AAAS Fellow. Election as a Fellow is an honor bestowed upon members of the American Association for the Advancement of Science by their peers.

As part of the Section on Biological Sciences, Dr. Handel was elected as an AAAS Fellow for "distinguished contributions to the understanding of mammalian gametogenesis and its genes, and service to reproductive biology research, including as Editor-in-Chief of Biology of Reproduction."

"This is a most well-deserved honor," says Jackson Laboratory President and CEO Rick Woychik, Ph.D. "Mary Ann is not only a distinguished scientist in her field of reproductive genetics, but she is also a generous mentor and collaborator."

Prize4Life and The Jackson Laboratory team up to fight ALS

Thu, 10 Dec 2009 08:56:27 -0500

December 10, 2009/The Jackson Laboratory - Prize4Life, an organization dedicated to finding a cure for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, or Lou Gehrig's disease), is partnering with The Jackson Laboratory to help more researchers identify treatment candidates that increase the lifespan of mice that model ALS.

The Jackson Laboratory will provide the most widely used ALS mouse models, and expert guidance for how to work with them, to researchers participating in the Prize4Life $1 million challenge. Established in 2008, the Avi Kremer ALS Treatment Prize is named for a Harvard Business School student who was diagnosed with ALS and who, with fellow students, founded Prize4Life in 2004 to accelerate research for treating and curing ALS by using large inducement prizes.

Jackson researchers identify essential factors in brain organization

Tue, 1 Dec 2009 14:17:44 -0500

December 1, 2009/The Jackson Laboratory (Bar Harbor, ME) - A Jackson Laboratory research team led by Associate Professor Robert Burgess has shown that two proteins, called DSCAM and DSCAML1, are essential to the proper arrangement (what scientists call "mosaicism") of neuronal circuits in the retina. The finding could light the way to understanding a wide range of neurodevelopmental defects.

Acting as a kind of mortar in the brain mosaic, DSCAM and DSCAML1, which have already been implicated in brain development in fruit flies and birds, appear to exert just the right attractive and repulsive forces to ensure that neurons of the same type form well-defined synaptic connections.

In research published in the journal Neuron, Burgess and his colleagues show that in the absence of DSCAM, retinal neurons do form synapses, but they clump together without the regular spacing needed to ensure an absence of gaps in the brain circuitry. In other parts of the brain, such clumping could underlie a number of disorders, including Tourette's syndrome and Down syndrome--in fact, DSCAM stands for "Down syndrome cell adhesion molecule."

A commentary essay by Stanford University neurobiologist Andrew D. Huberman hails the researchers' work, noting that they provide "clear answers" to questions about the role of DSCAM "and in doing so, unveil a remarkable aspect of the adhesion code that underlies neuronal circuit wiring."

Kill the cancer, not the patient: New approach to testing chemo drugs

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 11:23:09 -0500

November 18, 2009/Bar Harbor, ME - For cancer patients on chemotherapy, the "cure" can be as deadly as the disease itself. Adverse drug reactions are one of the leading causes of death among patients receiving cancer treatment. Jackson Laboratory Professor Gary Churchill wants to change that. With a new two-year, $1 million grant from the National Cancer Institute, Churchill is launching a radical new approach to testing three chemotherapeutic drugs for potential toxic effects. Chemo drugs are supposed to be toxic--to cancer cells. But they're notorious for their unpredictable effectiveness and for causing systemic toxic reactions in patients. "Adverse drug reactions can be difficult to study in humans," Churchill says. "Every individual is genetically unique and lives in an uncontrolled environment. That's why we need animal model systems to fully understand the genetic basis of drug response." Testing chemo drugs in animal models is not new, but Churchill's approach is. Instead of working with one hybrid strain of mouse, as is the pharmaceutical industry standard, The Jackson Laboratory is developing a new mouse variety that is designed to maximize genetic diversity. Each one of these "Diversity Outbred Mice" will be genetically unique and, as a whole, the population approximates the genetic diversity observed in human populations.

$1M NIH grant funds Jackson role in biological "translation dictionary"

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 11:22:02 -0500

November 16, 2009/Bar Harbor, ME -- A $1 million federal research grant to Jackson Laboratory Associate Professor Judith Blake, Ph.D., will provide additional funding for an international project to provide structured, controlled vocabularies (ontologies) for use in biomedical research. Over the years, scientists working with various model organisms have accumulated species-specific terms for genes, proteins and other biological structures, functions and processes. Yet despite the millions of years of evolution that divide a yeast cell from a mouse, and a mouse from a human, these features are remarkably uniform across species. The Gene Ontology (GO) Consortium, based at The Jackson Laboratory, helps scientists around the world use a consistent vocabulary to communicate, integrate and interrogate their findings.

Jackson videos win awards in statewide competition

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 09:43:18 -0500

November 10, 2009/Portland, Maine - A six-minute video introducing The Jackson Laboratory and an eight-minute video describing the Laboratory's role in personalized medicine have won Broderson Awards from the Advertising Club of Maine.

The videos received Silver Awards in the long-form marketing video category. The awards were announced Oct. 21 at a banquet in Portland hosted by former Maine Gov. Angus King and Adweek critic Barbara Lippert. Both videos were produced by AirStream Pictures of Gorham, Maine, in partnership with the Laboratory. David Fuller, owner of AirStream, directed the productions and accepted the awards. Chuck Griffith of Pound Ridge, N.Y., was creative director for the introductory video.

Watch the introductory video (6:19)

Watch the personalized medicine video (8:07)

Jackson Laboratory considering new facility

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 08:29:53 -0400

October 14, 2009/The Jackson Laboratory - The Jackson Laboratory is evaluating the feasibility of establishing an institute for personalized medicine. The institute would more directly apply the Laboratory's expertise in genomics and bioinformatics to problems of human health and disease.

Drastic reductions in the cost and speed of whole-genome sequencing and a deeper understanding of genetic networks are opening up exciting new possibilities for treating patients based on their unique genetic makeup, said Jackson President and CEO Rick Woychik, Ph.D.

"We are on the verge of a whole new era in medicine, and we expect to play a pioneering role in the science that will accelerate personalized medicine," Woychik said. "Understanding the complex genetics of disease and of the individual will enable physicians to treat patients more effectively, reduce drug side effects, and lower the cost of health care."

$2.4M NIH grant to The Jackson Laboratory for "FaceBase" project

Tue, 6 Oct 2009 08:29:13 -0400

October 6, 2009/National Institutes of Health, NIDCR - Jackson Laboratory researchers including Professor Leah Rae Donahue, Ph.D., and Research Scientist Stephen Murray, Ph.D., are part of a new, multi-institutional National Institutes of Health initiative to understand craniofacial birth defects.

The 5-year, $2,352,385 grant to The Jackson Laboratory is one of 11 research and technology grants of the new FaceBase Consortium funded by the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR). The initiative will systematically compile the biological instructions to construct the middle region of the human face and precisely define the genetics underlying its common developmental disorders, such as cleft lip and palate. The mid-face includes the nose, upper lip, and the palate, or roof of the mouth.

Third JAX Summer Student wins Nobel Prize

Tue, 6 Oct 2009 09:43:10 -0400

October 5, 2009/Bar Harbor, ME - An alumnus of The Jackson Laboratory’s historic Summer Student Program is a winner of the 2009 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. Jack W. Szostak, Ph.D., is the third Summer Student Program alumnus to win the Nobel Prize, after Laureates David Baltimore and Howard Temin, who were both at the Laboratory in 1955.

Today a professor at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, and a Howard Hughes Medical Investigator, Dr. Szostak spent the summer of 1970 at The Jackson Laboratory, while an undergraduate at McGill University, studying genes associated with thyroid function under the mentorship of Dr. Chen K. Chai.

Dr. Szostak shares this year’s Nobel Prize with Drs. Elizabeth H. Blackburn and Carol W. Greider "for the discovery of how chromosomes are protected by telomeres and the enzyme telomerase." Telomeres, structures on the ends of chromosomes, appear to have an important role in preventing damage to DNA during cell division. Their function, or failure to function, is implicated in aging, cancer and other diseases.

In newly patented process, The Jackson Laboratory "freezes" genetic variation in mice

Tue, 22 Sep 2009 13:10:36 -0400

September 22, 2009/Bar Harbor, Maine - Today the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has awarded The Jackson Laboratory a patent for a process that effectively prevents random change or "genetic drift" in its inbred mouse colonies.

Thanks to the close match between human and mouse genes, researchers around the world use mouse models to study human biology and diseases. Today more than 4,000 mouse models are available from The Jackson Laboratory, each with a very specific genetic profile.

However, just a few of these models -- standard inbred strains -- represent the vast majority of mice used in research and are consequently bred in large numbers. Because "evolution happens" even among genetically identical animals, there's always the chance of random new mutations arising over time or place in these mouse colonies, potentially introducing unknown variables into researchers' experiments.

$2.1M NIH construction grant will support Jackson research expansion

Wed, 16 Sep 2009 16:22:24 -0400

Bar Harbor, Maine -- A new $2.1 million National Institutes of Health grant to The Jackson Laboratory will fund construction of space for the institution’s expanding bioinformatics and computational biology programs.

Jackson Laboratory bioinformatics and computational biology scientists develop the ever-growing quantity of genetic data into sophisticated tools, available to the worldwide research community, for understanding gene function. To meet the rapidly expanding demand for these data and tools, the Laboratory is recruiting four new faculty members over the next five years with expertise in applying computational approaches to solving biological problems.

Nature opinion: Jackson Laboratory represents best practices in sharing research materials

Thu, 10 Sep 2009 11:51:18 -0400

September 10, 2009/Nature Online - Sharing knowledge is essential for the progress of science, but researchers don't always release data and research materials, even after publication of work. In May, representatives of biomedical research institutions, funding agencies and journals from around the world gathered in Rome to tackle the barriers to more effective sharing of data and research resources, particularly mouse strains and embryonic stem cells.

These representatives, including David Einhorn, house counsel of The Jackson Laboratory, have published an opinion article in the top journal Nature, setting out an agenda for the worldwide scientific community to follow. The Jackson Laboratory's commitment to distributing research resources to the worldwide scientific community was cited as "an example of good practice" of sharing resources.

Bangor Walk raises funds for ALS research

Mon, 31 Aug 2009 15:56:22 -0400

August 31, 2009/Bangor, Maine -- At least 200 ALS patients and their families, friends and supporters braved the rain in Bangor's Hayford Park on the morning of Saturday, August 29, for the second annual Walk to Defeat ALS. The fundraising event was sponsored by the ALS Association.

Jackson Laboratory Associate Professor Greg Cox, Ph.D., keynote speaker of the event and an ALS Association grantee, came with members of his laboratory and family. He said, "Events such as the Walk to Defeat ALS help to raise awareness about the need for continued clinical and basic research on ALS. My laboratory is taking advantage of the power of mouse genetics to identify factors that can alter the onset or progression of ALS. We hope to use this knowledge to identify new targets for therapeutic development."

Also attending the event were Nancy Venner, director of community services for the ALS Association, and two patient services coordinators from the association's Northern New England Chapter, Christine Richards of New Hampshire and Nell Davies of Maine.

New researcher, trustees, awards announced

Tue, 18 Aug 2009 11:31:06 -0400

August 18, 2009/Bar Harbor, ME - ackson Laboratory Trustee Sam Little (top), grandson of Jackson founder C.C. Little, is the new president of the institution’s support group, The National Council. Two new Trustees and other appointments were also announced at the Laboratory’s 80th Annual Meeting and Discovery Day in Bar Harbor on August 14-15.

The Laboratory confirmed Stewart Hen and Kathleen Corbet to the Board of Trustees. Brian Wruble (bottom) was reelected as chairman of the Board, and long-serving Board members Bill Rudolf and Harry Sears, M.D., became Trustees Emeriti. Robert B. Darnell, M.D., Ph.D., Robert and Harriet Heilbrunn Professor in Cancer Biology at Rockefeller University in New York and Howard Hughes Medical Investigator, joined the Laboratory's Board of Scientific Overseers.

At the annual National Council Discovery Day on Saturday, the group met and shared a day of presentations and tours with employees and members of the local community. Harry Lodge, M.D., coauthor of the popular Younger Next Year series of books, gave a talk and led a panel discussion, followed by a presentation by Jackson Laboratory Professor David Harrison, Ph.D.

Retired Jackson scientist funds two new $100k endowments

Mon, 17 Aug 2009 11:28:25 -0400

August 17, 2009/Bar Harbor, ME - Jackson Laboratory Professor Emeritus Douglas Coleman, Ph.D., winner of the 2009 Shaw Prize in Life Science and Medicine, has established two $100,000 endowments with his Prize earnings to support research and education at the Laboratory.

The Douglas Colelman Research Fund will support investigators, with preference given to early-career scientists at The Jackson Laboratory who are studying obesity and diabetes, the fields in which Dr. Coleman is recognized as a pioneer.

Jackson researchers build a better mouse (gene) trap

Sun, 9 Aug 2009 11:56:10 -0400

August 9, 2009/Bar Harbor, ME - To fully explore complex genomic and genetic questions, researchers need better tools. A new microarray developed by scientists at The Jackson Laboratory and University of North Carolina can capture the full spectrum of genetic diversity in laboratory mice, enabling the kind of genome-wide association studies in mice that have been successful in human populations.

The JAX® Mouse Diversity Genotyping Array, designed by Jackson Laboratory Professor Gary Churchill, Ph.D., and Fernando Pardo Manuel de Villena, Ph.D., of the University of North Carolina, provides an efficient and powerful platform for characterizing mice and gaining insight into a variety of genomic inquiries.

Groundbreaking on new importation facility marks turning point for (Lab's) economy

Wed, 5 Aug 2009 12:11:19 -0400

August 5, 2009/Bar Harbor, ME - Citing figures they say demonstrate that The Jackson Laboratory is emerging from last year’s economic slump, lab officials ceremonially broke ground Wednesday on a new facility expected to help the lab expand one of its more profitable products.

The importation isolation building, which is being funded in part by a $4.7 million grant from the taxpayer-supported Maine Technology Asset Fund, would provide space for many of the lab’s reproductive services functions. The MTAF grant is paying for half of the building’s construction and the lab is funding the rest, lab officials said.

UMaine network aims to speed research links

Tue, 21 Jul 2009 12:06:00 -0400

July 21, 2009/Orono, ME - In U.S. history, May 10, 1869, is notable because it was the day a golden spike was driven into the ground in Utah to indicate the final step in the connection of the country’s first transcontinental railroad.

What happened Monday in Salem, N.H., may not have the same national historic implications, but it represented a huge step forward for research facilities, universities and colleges in Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and possibly beyond.

At about 3 p.m. Monday, a fiber-optic line from Cambridge, Mass., was spliced with a line from Durham, N.H., forming a connection with the Maine Research and Education Network, or MaineREN, whose northern end points are The Jackson Laboratory and MDI Biological Laboratory in Bar Harbor and the University of Maine in Orono.

Jackson researchers net nearly $461k in new research grants

Thu, 16 Jul 2009 10:35:59 -0400

July 16, 2009/Bar Harbor, ME - Three Jackson Laboratory researchers were awarded new grants from the National Institutes of Health. The awards are part of the federal governments economic stimulus initiative known as the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA).

Jackson Lab team extends lifespan of mice with transplant drug

Wed, 8 Jul 2009 14:44:56 -0400

July 8, 2009/Bar Harbor, ME - A drug used by human transplant recipients to prevent rejecting their new organ can significantly extend the lifespan of mice, finds a paper published online this week in Nature.

Rapamycin is a bacterial product originally found in a soil sample from Rapa Nui, or Easter Island. It targets TOR, a kinase that regulates protein translation, cell growth and cell metabolism in response to environmental cues. Reducing TOR function has already been shown to extend the life of yeast, nematode worms and flies, but now Jackson Laboratory Professor David Harrison and colleagues report the effect for the first time in mammals.

The team fed rapamycin to mice late in their life - 600 days of age - and showed that the median and maximal lifespan of treated animals was extended by 9-14%. Currently, the only way to extend the life of a rodent is by severely restricting its diet, so this marks the first report of a pharmacological intervention that lengthens the life of mammals.

California research agency grants $3.4M to The Jackson Laboratory--West

Mon, 22 Jun 2009 12:43:47 -0400

June 22, 2009/Sacramento - The Jackson Laboratory has received a $3.4 million grant from the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM), the state's stem cell agency, to help speed the development of new therapies for cancer, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and other diseases.

A nonprofit biomedical research institution based in Bar Harbor, Maine, The Jackson Laboratory's facility in Sacramento provides research services to the West Coast biomedical community. The Jackson Laboratory--West will use the CIRM grant to develop new mouse models of human disease that can be used to test innovative stem cell treatments.

Jackson Laboratory scientist wins Shaw Prize, "Nobel of the East"

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 16:27:49 -0400

June 16, 2009/The Jackson Laboratory - Jackson Laboratory Professor Emeritus Douglas Coleman, Ph.D., a pioneer in obesity and diabetes research, will share the prestigious Shaw Prize in Life Science and Medicine with Dr. Jeffrey Friedman of Rockefeller University and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. The prize, issued by the Shaw Prize Foundation of Hong Kong, is widely regarded as the "Nobel of the East" and carries a $1 million award.

In the 1970s, Dr. Coleman conducted a series of experiments that led him to propose the existence of a "satiety factor" that would account for obesity and type 2 diabetes among certain mice. Dr. Friedman would later identify that factor as leptin, a hormone that regulates food intake and body weight. The scientists' work showed that chemical and genetic factors--not just willpower and eating habits--are involved in obesity, opening possibilities for future pharmaceutical treatments.

Jackson receives $2.1M in Maine Technology Asset Fund award

Mon, 15 Jun 2009 10:40:25 -0400

June 9, 2009/The Jackson Laboratory - The Jackson Laboratory has received a $2.1 million grant from the State of Maine to expand research space for laboratory mice and to purchase cutting-edge equipment for genetic analyses. The Maine Technology Institute (MTI) awarded the grant through the Maine Technology Asset Fund.

"This funding is a smart state investment in science, medicine and economic development, and we’re going to put it to good use," said Jackson Laboratory President and CEO Rick Woychik, Ph.D. "It will expand the Laboratory’s capacity to conduct research and development, leading to new product and service offerings for personalized medicine research, in partnership with Maine companies and nonprofit institutions."

Lethal cancer knocked down by one-two drug punch

Mon, 8 Jun 2009 10:46:37 -0400

June 8, 2009/Bar Harbor, ME - In the battle against cancer, allies can come from unexpected sources. Research at The Jackson Laboratory has yielded a new approach to treating leukemia, one that targets leukemia-proliferating cells with drugs that are already on the market.

Jackson Adjunct Professor Shaoguang Li, M.D., Ph.D., who now has a laboratory at the University of Massachusetts Medical School in Worcester, led a research team that identified a gene involved with the inflammatory response that could hold the key to treating or even preventing chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), a lethal cancer.

The gene, Alox5, processes essential fatty acids into leukotrienes, which are important agents in the inflammatory response. But according to the researchers, Alox5 has a more sinister side. It is vital to the development and maintenance of cancer stem cells.

Cancer stem cells are slow-dividing cells that are thought to give rise to a variety of cancers, including leukemia, and to be critical for maintaining them. Researchers theorize that cancer stem cells must be targeted for effective treatment of many cancers, but direct evidence is still lacking.

Maine Governor Baldacci presents Maine Fitness Award to Jackson Laboratory

Thu, 21 May 2009 21:14:02 -0400

May 20, 2009/The Jackson Laboratory - Maine Governor John Baldacci presented the Maine Fitness Award to the Laboratory in the Healthy Workplace -- Large Employer category at a ceremony in Augusta.

The Maine Fitness Awards, presented by the Governor's Council on Physical Activity, recognize people and programs that promote physical fitness and sports programs in eight different categories including youth-based, community and workplace.

Jackson & NC scientists develop genetic toxicity identifiers for drugs like acetaminophen

Tue, 5 May 2009 12:59:46 -0400

May 4, 2009/The Jackson Laboratory -Adverse reactions to medications represent one of the leading causes of death in the United States. But there may be a way to predict who is most likely to suffer a toxic side effect to a drug before it's prescribed.

In a study published online May 4 in the journal Genome Research, scientists at The Jackson Laboratory in Bar Harbor, Maine, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and other institutions report a new approach to testing drugs for potential toxicity, one that could someday result in more people benefiting from existing drugs.

See Dr. Paigen discuss his findings in this informal, 6-minute video

The Jackson Laboratory--West moves to larger Sacramento site

Mon, 27 Apr 2009 10:32:34 -0400

Sacramento, CA - The Jackson Laboratory has expanded its footprint in California, home to the world's greatest concentration of biomedical researchers. The newly renovated, 85,000-square-foot facility in Sacramento is twice the size of Jackson's previous space in West Sacramento.

According to Jackson President and CEO Rick Woychik, Ph.D., about twice as much biomedical research is conducted in California than in the entire East Coast corridor between Maine and the Research Triangle area of North Carolina. "The West Coast biomedical research community is an exciting community, and we're becoming a bigger part of it," Dr. Woychik says. "This means The Jackson Laboratory, and Maine, will benefit from a tremendous income opportunity for many years to come."

Jackson Laboratory committed to healthy environment as well as human health

Mon, 6 Apr 2009 09:18:37 -0400

Bar Harbor, Maine - Mainers know The Jackson Laboratory as a nonprofit research institution that is leading the search for tomorrow's cures. They can also be proud of the fact that the Laboratory -- one of the state's largest employers -- is also in the vanguard of institutional environmental initiatives. Ongoing efforts to reduce energy use earned The Jackson Laboratory the Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnership Award in 2006 for energy conservation leadership. According to Jackson Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Chuck Hewett, Ph.D., "The Laboratory makes it a practice to choose the most environmentally friendly materials, services and utilities available, which nowadays also often equates to lower operational costs."

The Jackson Laboratory settles with the EPA after successfully resolving compliance issues

Fri, 3 Apr 2009 09:06:36 -0400

The Jackson Laboratory has reached an agreement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to pay fines associated with a November 2006 inspection. The Laboratory quickly addressed the issues identified during that inspection, most of which involved minor record-keeping, and none of which represented any real threat to the environment or public safety. The Laboratory provided data that conclusively demonstrated that chemicals stored on its site did not pose a risk of explosion as originally alleged by the EPA.

The Jackson Laboratory considers environmental health and safety to be of the utmost importance. We are pleased that we have been able to resolve these issues with the EPA.

The fines of $161,680 were reduced from the $213,670 originally proposed by the EPA.

Rick Woychik: Jackson vital to Maine's health & economy

Sat, 28 Mar 2009 13:43:49 -0400

The Jackson Laboratory is vital to Maine's economy and the future health of Mainers, says Jackson President and CEO Rick Woychik, Ph.D.

In an op-ed column in the March 28-29 edition of the Bangor Daily News, Dr. Woychik notes that "while Maine's economy, like the world economy, has slowed, the ravages of disease have not."

Board member makes $1 million challenge gift to The Jackson Laboratory

Mon, 23 Mar 2009 19:37:31 -0400

Bar Harbor, Maine - Geneticist and author Weslie Janeway of New York has made a $1 million "challenge gift" to The Jackson Laboratory for the recruitment and support of new scientists working to understand the genetic basis of human disease. The challenge gift, intended to encourage $1 million in matching gifts from other donors, will be used to pay for faculty starting salaries, lab equipment and experiments.

"Mrs. Janeway’s generous gift will help us attract bright young faculty with new ideas and approaches to enhance our genetics research at the Laboratory," said Rick Woychik, Ph.D., president and CEO of the Laboratory. "A secure funding base is necessary to attract outstanding researchers," Mrs. Janeway said. "This represents the best possible investment in the future of The Jackson Laboratory and its work in the basic science that makes it possible to advance human health."

The gift is timely because the Laboratory has developed a five-year strategic plan to expand its faculty to 45 principal investigators from the current 38 by 2014.

Jackson awarded $12,500 MTI grant to commercialize new stem cell technologies

Fri, 13 Mar 2009 11:22:22 -0400

The Maine Technology Institute has awarded a Jackson Laboratory team a $12,500 seed grant to investigate new stem cell technologies that could advance the future of individualized medicine.

Embryonic stem (ES) cells have the capacity to grow into any kind of cell in the body: heart, lung, pancreas, liver, etc., and thus hold promise for repairing or even reconstructing organs damaged by diabetes, cancer or other diseases. However, there's a built-in problem: Tissues created from any source besides the patient's own cells could be rejected by the patient's body, yet the patient's own ES cells are not available because they are present only in very early human embryos.

Enter new technologies for converting adult cells of the body into embryonic-like stem cells by adding a combination of reprogramming factors. Under the MTI grant, the Jackson researchers will conduct a study of whether these so-called induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells do indeed function as ES cells would.

Jackson director, scientist to speak April 30 at Rockport Opera House

Fri, 13 Mar 2009 11:21:53 -0400

Dr. Rick Woychik, president and CEO of The Jackson Laboratory in Bar Harbor, Maine, and Jackson cancer researcher Dr. Kyuson Yun, are speaking Thursday, April 30 at 7 p.m. at the Rockport Opera House in Rockport, Maine. Part of the Rockport Public Library's "Spring Into Health" series to educate the public about important medical issues, the talk is fre and open to the public.

Laboratory reduces workforce to weather recession

Fri, 6 Mar 2009 12:46:37 -0400

The deteriorating conditions in the world economy will force The Jackson Laboratory to reduce its workforce by about 55 people and temporarily curtail the workweek to 37.5 hours for about 315 of its hourly employees.

These actions, announced to Laboratory staff on Thursday, follow a careful, six-week assessment of the Laboratory's financial situation by senior managers and are part of a wide-ranging plan to cut operating costs and boost revenues. A hiring freeze implemented in January also remains in effect except for positions funded by external grants and a few select positions deemed mission critical.

Jackson director to speak March 22 in Boca Raton, Fla.

Fri, 27 Feb 2009 12:44:56 -0400

Dr. Rick Woychik will address the future of individualized medicine, explaining how scientists are working toward a new kind of medicine, in which treatments are tailored to each patient's personal genetic profile.

Hosted by Sue Goldman, president of the board of Congregation B’nai Israel, and her husband Dr. Howard Goldman, Dr. Woychik will share his presentation on Sunday, March 22 at Congregation B’nai Israel, 2200 Yamato Road, Boca Raton, Fla., at 6:30 p.m., following a 6:00 p.m. reception.

Jackson ranks #2 among nation's "Best Places to Work" for postdocs

Tue, 24 Feb 2009 15:33:06 -0500

The Jackson Laboratory ranks among the nation's top institutions for scientists in the postdoctoral phase of their career--also known as "postdocs". The Laboratory was voted #2 in a poll of postdocs conducted by The Scientist, a magazine for people working in the life sciences, up from the #9 spot in 2008.

The Scientist: Jackson established mouse genetics, cancer researchers' careers

Wed, 18 Feb 2009 10:47:41 -0500

The current edition of the life sciences magazine The Scientist includes two articles noting The Jackson Laboratory's central role in modern biomedical research.

In "Fancy This," reporter Andrea Gawrylewski traced the earliest research colonies of genetically defined mice, established by Jackson Laboratory founder Clarence Cook Little, to a Massachusetts breeder of pet "fancy mice," Abbie Lathrop. "Mapping with Mice" is a profile of the prominent husband-and-wife cancer research team of Nancy Jenkins and Neal Copeland, who spent an important phase of their career conducting research at The Jackson Laboratory.

Study: Calorie restriction helps only obese mice live longer

Wed, 18 Feb 2009 10:32:50 -0500

Does a calorie-restricted diet actually lengthen your life? Probably not unless you're already overweight, say scientists at the University of Southern California and North Texas Health Science Center.

The scientists studied two strains of JAX® Mice from The Jackson Laboratory to see whether subjecting them to a low-calorie diet prolonged their lifespan by lowering the rate of metabolism. The C57BL/6J mouse tends to gain weight throughout its lifetime, while the DBA/2J mouse stays lean.

Do-it-yourself sperm cryo kit launched by The Jackson Laboratory

Tue, 10 Feb 2009 10:22:51 -0500

Critical technology for preserving and recovering mouse strains took a giant leap forward this week - out of the laboratory and into the hands of researchers - as The Jackson Laboratory (JAX) introduced the first "do-it-yourself" Sperm Cryopreservation Kit for mice.

Containing all the materials and instructions necessary for the preservation of three, six or nine strains of mice, the new JAX® Sperm Cryopreservation Kit translates cutting-edge technology into an easy-to-use product, while providing the assurance that comes from robust quality control, testing, and long-term storage at The Jackson Laboratory.

For the first time, researchers can cost-effectively cryopreserve novel mouse strains in their own laboratories - without worrying about shipping live mice or whether or not cryopreservation was successful, and without the cost and infrastructure necessary for long-term storage. The Kit includes both quality control testing to assess fertilization capacity and three years of storage in liquid nitrogen (in three separate tanks, in two locations) at JAX as part of the purchase price. The Kit is designed for strains that can be recovered on the following inbred and genetic backgrounds: C57BL6/J, DBA/2J, C3H/HeJ, FVB/NJ, B6129SF1/J.

How Jackson Laboratory founder C.C. Little revolutionized biomedical research

Fri, 30 Jan 2009 11:15:27 -0500

In 1909, while still an undergraduate at Harvard University, Clarence Cook Little started to develop the first inbred strain of laboratory mouse.

In the January edition of New Scientist magazine, writer Sharon Oosthoek relates how Little, who would found The Jackson Laboratory in 1929, revolutionized the progress of biomedical research for the last 100 years.

The article is available to New Scientist subscribers online and is also on the ABC news website.

Blocked protein prevents Lupus in mouse model

Fri, 30 Jan 2009 11:12:09 -0500

Mice from a strain that ordinarily develops systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), but bred with a deficiency in receptor for the protein Interleukin 21, stayed healthy and exhibited none of the symptoms of the disease, researchers at The Jackson Laboratory and National Institutes of Health report.

SLE is an autoimmune disease, with symptoms of varying severity including include painful or swollen joints, unexplained fever and extreme fatigue. An estimated 2 million Americans --nine out of 10 of them female -- live with SLE.

The primary job of the immune system is to identify and vanquish potentially dangerous infectious pathogens. Autoimmune diseases develop when immune system instead unleashes this potent defense system against the individual's own tissues, with predictably severe consequences.

Unlike other autoimmune diseases such as Type 1 diabetes, in which the immune response is focused on certain tissues, SLE is a systemic disease in which abnormal antibodies are produced that injure a variety of tissues and organs, including the skin, heart, lungs and kidneys.

The cause of SLE is not well understood, but recent work by a Jackson Laboratory research team led by Professor Derry Roopenian is shedding light on how the disease develops and offers hope for better therapies.

Mutant mice funded for 50 years at Jackson

Tue, 20 Jan 2009 09:13:06 -0500

January 2009 marks 50 years of federal funding for the world's largest collection of mice with naturally occurring, or spontaneous, mutations. These mice have helped researchers around the world study some of humanity's toughest diseases.

Why Jackson's collection is special
The Jackson Laboratory is recognized throughout the scientific world as the institution that made the laboratory mouse the premier model for the study of basic biology and genetic diseases. By carefully inbreeding mice so that each colony is, for all intents, a large family of genetically identical "twins", JAX® Mice are consistent, standardized research models. As part of Jackson's program to maintain this genetic consistency, animal care technicians are trained to identify mouse offspring that look or act differently from their parents -- the first sign that a spontaneous mutation may have occurred.

What's so special about mutant mice?
Mice and humans share the vast majority of their genes, and mice get the same diseases as humans, for the same genetic reasons. Since the 1980s, with the advent of gene transfer technology, it has been possible to insert or delete genes to create a new mouse model for a given disease, based on what is known about the genetics of that disease.

However, given the complexity of diseases like cancer, diabetes and heart disease, which may involve the interaction of dozens or even hundreds of genes, many scientists believe that diseases are best modeled when they occur naturally, as they do in the human population.

"Spontaneous mutations provide gene discovery in its most basic form," says Dr. Leah Rae Donahue, Jackson's director of genetic resource sciences. "In mice with a spontaneous mutation, you notice the clinical 'symptoms' of a disease first, and when you investigate the genetics you may discover a gene that no one suspected was involved in the disease."

New clues emerge as to how gene activity affects aging

Mon, 29 Dec 2008 12:00:02 -0500

New evidence may explain why it is that we lose not only our youthful looks, but also our youthful pattern of gene activity with age. A report in the journal Cell by researchers at Harvard Medical School, The Jackson Laboratory and other institutions reveals that a protein perhaps best known for its role in the life-extending benefits of a low-calorie diet also maintains the stability of the mammalian genome--the complete set of genetic instructions "written" in DNA.

Jackson Laboratory in international mouse genome project

Thu, 18 Dec 2008 17:12:02 -0500

The U.K.-based Medical Research Council and Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation have launched a $4.4 million project, involving The Jackson Laboratory and research institutions in the U.K. and Europe, to sequence the genomes of the 17 most widely used strains of laboratory mouse.

The three-year project will use next-generation sequencing technologies to produce detailed sequences for each of the strains. The DNA sequences will help to identify and characterize many human disease-related genes, and will be made openly available to the research community.

Dr. David Adams, investigator at the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, who will lead the project, says: "This award is a great boost for researchers around the world working to understand the genetic components of disease. We have already carried out pilot studies to guide our approach and can now move forward swiftly to deliver these new resources."

More than 400 genetically defined strains are available to the worldwide scientific community from The Jackson Laboratory and other sources, but the vast majority of researchers study a much smaller subset of 17 strains.

Jackson Trustee David Baltimore on "America's Best Leaders" list

Tue, 2 Dec 2008 13:05:46 -0500

David Baltimore's influence on science has stretched far beyond the Nobel he won at age 37 for his work on retroviruses. An early advocate for federal research on AIDS, he served as president of Rockefeller University and the California Institute of Technology, all while continuing to do research.

Jackson's Simon John named team leader in new research program

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 15:07:22 -0500

As part of a new, $40 million initiative to spark innovation and collaboration in biomedical research, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) has named Jackson Professor Simon John to lead one of eight teams of scientists. Dr. John is one of the nation's leading researchers in the study of glaucoma. According to HHMI, the Collaborative Innovation Awards were designed to enable the teams "to devote substantial time and energy to pursuing collaborative, transformative research." In Dr. John's case, he will be teaming with engineers at Purdue University to develop new, wireless sensor technology to monitor the intraocular pressure of a mouse eye. If successful, the technology could have a wide range of applications in human medicine, such as monitoring blood pressure around the clock. In glaucoma, the nerve cells, or neurons, that connect the eye to the brain lose function and die. These nerve cells are known as retinal ganglion cells. Since retinal ganglion cell axons -- similar to electrical wires -- travel through the optic nerve and connect the retinal ganglion cells to the brain, glaucoma is also characterized by degeneration of the optic nerve. Most currently available treatments for glaucoma focus on reducing harmfully high pressure inside the eye (known as intraocular pressure), one of the strongest known contributing factors to glaucoma. The ability to closely monitor the pressure is an important step in fully understanding the disease and how it progresses to damage neurons.

Jackson Laboratory high school mentorships featured

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 14:59:36 -0500

HHMI Bulletin: Jackson program "grandaddy of training grounds"

In just seven weeks at The Jackson Laboratory in Bar Harbor, Maine, two teenagers have become an integral part of a lab team. Bob Braun, who recently joined Jackson Lab as associate director and chair of research, is hosting high school students for the first time. He is surprised at how much valuable science these high school students have done, going beyond his carefully outlined plan for their summer. "These students have really galvanized my lab, and the lab has embraced them," he says.

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Cancer researcher joining Jackson research staff

Mon, 17 Nov 2008 09:44:42 -0500

Cancer researcher Chengkai Dai, M.D., Ph.D., will join The Jackson Laboratory faculty at the end of 2008. Dr. Dai is finishing a postdoctoral appointment at the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, an independent institution affiliated with MIT. Dr. Dai studies a family of proteins, called heat shock proteins, that normally protect healthy cells from environmental stress. In cancer, however, the proteins change allegiance and instead help to protect cancer cells, allowing them to grow and divide very rapidly. Dr. Dai earned his M.D. from Tianjin Medical University in 1995, followed by an M.S. degree in 1998. He conducted graduate work with Eric Holland, M.D., Ph.D., and received his Ph.D. from the University of Texas—Houston Health Science Center in 2003. At the Whitehead Institute, his postdoctoral fellowship is in the laboratory of Susan Lindquist, Ph.D. Dr. Dai has co-authored 17 research and review articles (seven as first author) in peer-reviewed journals including Cell and Genes & Development. He received The Children's Tumor Foundation Young Investigator Award in 2006.

Scientists rank Jackson in top 20 U.S. "Best Places to Work in Academia"

Fri, 7 Nov 2008 11:21:20 -0500

The Jackson Laboratory was voted among the top 20 "Best Places to Work in Academia" in the United States for 2008. The poll was conducted by The Scientist, a magazine for people working in the life sciences. Readers participating in the survey cited job satisfaction and pay as The Jackson Laboratory's greatest workplace strengths. The Laboratory was ranked number 19 among U.S. academic research institutions. The results of the survey are published in the November edition of The Scientist.

Princeton computer scientist joining Jackson research staff in January

Tue, 28 Oct 2008 13:47:39 -0400

Computer scientist Matthew Hibbs, Ph.D., will be joining The Jackson Laboratory’s research faculty in January 2009. Dr. Hibbs received his Ph.D. from Princeton University and comes to the Laboratory after serving as a postdoctoral research assistant there.

A specialist in bioinformatics and computational biology, Dr. Hibbs began his undergraduate studies at the University of Texas interested in computer graphics, not genetics. But an early seminar in bioinformatics changed his thinking for good, and computer animation’s loss was computational biology’s gain.

Jackson Laboratory in top 20 of "Maine 100" listing

Thu, 16 Oct 2008 14:38:36 -0400

The Jackson Laboratory ranks 19th in "The Maine 100," Portland Magazine's annual listing of the top firms headquartered in Maine.

Jackson Laboratory Professor Ken Paigen receives Fulbright Senior Specialists Award

Thu, 16 Oct 2008 14:35:47 -0400

Kenneth Paigen, Ph.D., professor and executive research fellow at The Jackson Laboratory, has been selected for a Fulbright Senior Specialists project in France at Pasteur Institute during November 2008.

Statement from The Jackson Laboratory in response to EPA news release

Fri, 3 Oct 2008 09:49:03 -0400

We are concerned that the EPA would issue a news release with a list of allegations stemming from an inspection that occurred two years ago. The Jackson Laboratory operates at the highest safety standards, including its handling of the small amounts of hazardous materials and waste present on our campus.

Jackson NY Gala raises $1.3M, brings out stars

Mon, 22 Sep 2008 13:38:41 -0400

Stars of Hollywood, music and the science world came together at The Jackson Laboratory's spectacular National Gala at New York's Pierre Hotel on Sept. 18.

"Friendly" bacteria protect from diabetes

Sun, 21 Sep 2008 13:38:42 -0400

Friendly" bacteria help to stop the development of type 1 diabetes in mice, according to research conducted in part at The Jackson Laboratory and published online in Nature. The findings could one day be used to develop bacteria-based treatments for patients, say the authors.

Jackson Laboratory NY gala Sept. 18 to honor Nobel laureate, biotech investor

Tue, 16 Sep 2008 14:16:52 -0400

Nobel laureate David Baltimore, Ph.D., and renowned biotech investor Anthony B. Evnin, Ph.D., will receive Lifetime Achievement Awards at the gala, hosted by the National Council, a network of volunteers and donors who support The Jackson Laboratory.

Federal research grants totaling $4.9 million awarded for Jackson research

Mon, 8 Sep 2008 13:38:43 -0400

The National Institutes of Health announced grants totaling close to $5 million to two Jackson Laboratory scientists who study retinal diseases and embryonic development, respectively.

Nobel laureate, two investment executives join Jackson Board of Trustees

Tue, 2 Sep 2008 14:02:05 -0400

Nobel laureate David Baltimore, Ph.D., and investment executives Marie Langlois, M.B.A., and Thomas Volpe, M.B.A., M.Sc., have joined The Jackson Laboratory’s Board of Trustees. The nonprofit research institution announced these and other board changes at its August 2008 annual meeting.