The Jackson Laboratory, founded in 1929, is an independent, 501(c)3 nonprofit biomedical research institution based in Bar Harbor, Maine, with a National Cancer Institute-designated Cancer Center, a genomic medicine institute in Farmington, Conn., and facilities in Augusta and Ellsworth, Maine, in Sacramento, Calif., and in Shanghai, China. It employs more than 2,200 staff, and its mission is to discover precise genomic solutions for disease and empower the global biomedical community in the shared quest to improve human health.
JAX researchers combine extensive experience in mammalian genetics and human genomics to shape a unique and integrated approach to personalized medicine. Scientists work collaboratively across disciplines to interrogate disease from all angles, leveraging diverse expertise in cancer, immunology (including diabetes), neurogenetics (including Alzheimer’s disease), life-cycle biology (including development, stem cells, aging and regenerative medicine), the microbiome and computational biology.
To date, 26 Nobel prizes are associated with Jackson Laboratory research, education programs and resources. JAX professor George Snell, Ph.D. won the 1980 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for providing an in-depth understanding of the immune system’s major histocompatibility complex, making organ transplants possible. Three graduates of the JAX Summer Student Program have gone on to win the Nobel Prize, and another two dozen Nobel Prizes have been awarded for research conducted using JAX® Mice. JAX research breakthroughs that have impacted today’s medical treatments include:
The Jackson Laboratory offers educational programs for scientists throughout their careers — from STEM education for high school students and training for science and math teachers to courses and conferences for experienced researchers defining the cutting edge of genomics research and specialized training for physicians interested in incorporating genetics and genomics into their practices.
JAX empowers the global biomedical community through curation of data and provision of critical research models and services.
JAX provides in vivo drug efficacy testing, reproductive services and husbandry in a wide range of therapeutic areas for biomedical researchers.
JAX employs more than 2,300 staff in multiple locations in the United States and abroad:
Researchers at the Laboratory’s headquarters and mammalian genetics campus in Bar Harbor, Maine study the fundamental genetics underlying cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer’s and many other diseases. Additionally, JAX’s extensive and unique mouse models, database resources, educational programs and clinical research services empower and enable the work of scientists all across the globe.
JAX staff in Augusta, Maine manage the activities of The Maine Cancer Genomics Initiative (MCGI), a special alliance of cancer experts, clinicians and researchers from The Jackson Laboratory who are focused on improving outcomes for cancer patients across Maine. This facility is located on the campus of the MaineGeneral Medical Center’s Harold Alfond Center for Cancer Care.
The Charles E. Hewett Center in Ellsworth, Maine, is a state-of-the-art mouse vivarium that enables wider access to vital JAX® Mice resources for the worldwide biomedical research community.
Researchers at The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine in Farmington, Connecticut seek human genomic solutions to disease through a variety of areas, including computational biology, immunology, the microbiome, and cancer. Located on the campus of UConn Health Center, JAX Genomic Medicine integrates research with the clinic, and provides the human complement to our mammalian studies in Maine.
JAX professionals in Sacramento, California provide genetically unique mouse models, scientific testing, and data analysis services to pharmaceutical, life sciences and medical research communities.
Technical and customer support staff in Shanghai, China facilitate access to premium quality JAX® Mice, researcher support and knowledge sharing for the Chinese scientific community