The Jackson Laboratory

The importance of the mouse model in Coronavirus research

Integral to our mission to improve human health, JAX is committed to helping address the coronavirus pandemic as rapidly as possible. This page is dedicated to providing you with up-to-date information about one aspect of the Laboratory's response: the mouse model JAX is breeding for COVID-19 research.

Building a colony of hACE2 mice for COVID-19 research

JAX has created a new colony of specialized hACE2 mice to support global research on COVID-19. hACE2 mice are available for order, and JAX will begin shipping in June 2020.

JAX News

December 5, 2024

CAST mouse model: A crucial tool for future Covid-19 outbreaks: Researchers at The Jackson Laboratory and Trudeau Institute have identified the first mouse strain that is susceptible to severe COVID-19 without the need for genetic modification. Read more

March 24, 2020

Expediting COVID-19 Research: The Jackson Laboratory is fast tracking the breeding and distribution of a unique transgenic mouse model for worldwide coronavirus research. Read more

February 25, 2020

hACE2 transgenic mouse model for coronavirus (COVID-19) research: Commonly used wild-type mouse strains are not optimial for studying infections of the newly discovered coronavirus. Fortunately, a transgenic model at JAX is now available to fill the umet need for an in vivo experimental platform for COVID-19 Research. Read more


Media Coverage

May 2, 2020 - Freethink

Researchers are rushing to freeze...lab mice sperm? Noses twitching, whiskers searching, they are the vanguard of discovery — bearing our hopes and dreams and endless reams of research on their slim shoulders — as we follow their tails into the unknown: lab mice! Read more on NPR.org

March 14, 2020 - National Public Radio

Mouse Hunt: Lab races to grow mice for COVID-19 Research: Laboratories across the world are gearing up to develop vaccines that can stop the spread of the deadly coronavirus. They've got the funding; they've got the talent. But they don't have the mice. Read more on NPR.org

March 10, 2020 - Bloomberg News

A virus cure depends on rare lab mice, but there aren't enough: It’s a basic rule of medical research: Before you inject anything into humans, conduct experiments on animals—frequently mice—to determine whether treatments are safe and effective. Read more on Bloomberg News

March 9, 2020 - Nature

Labs rush to study coronavirus in transgenic animals - some are in short supply: As coronavirus marches around the globe, a sleepy town on the rugged Maine coast has become an unlikely nucleus in researchers’ efforts to combat the disease, known as COVID-19. Read more on Nature.com


Why the mouse?

Why do researchers work with mice? A collection of frequently asked questions on the benefits of mouse models on human health research.

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Why the mouse?

Why do researchers work with mice? A collection of frequently asked questions on the benefits of mouse models on human health research.

View more

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