Courtesy / The Jackson Laboratory
Mice produced by The Jackson Laboratory of Bar Harbor are used for scientific research worldwide.
February 6, 2018
Jackson Lab receives $12.5M grant for Ellsworth expansion
Photos / Courtesy Jackson Laboratory
Maine Technology Institute awarded a $12.5 million grant to The Jackson Laboratory to support construction of a state-of-the-art research mouse production facility in Ellsworth. Jackson Lab produces research mice used by scientists in nearly 25,000 laboratories around the world to conduct research, identify treatments and seek cures for human diseases.
By Staff
Maine Technology Institute awarded a $12.5 million grant to The Jackson Laboratory to support construction of a state-of-the-art research mouse production facility in Ellsworth.
As the world leader in research mouse production, Jackson Lab said in a news release the Ellsworth vivarium, which is scheduled to open this summer, will significantly expand its production capacity to meet the high demand for its mice. Annually, scientists in nearly 25,000 laboratories in up to 60 countries use Jackson Lab mice to conduct research, identify treatments and seek cures for human diseases.
In the next five to 10 years, the vivarium is expected to create 350 full-time, high-quality jobs in Ellsworth and 120 jobs in Bar Harbor.
The grant represents about half of the $24.5 million in MTI “Lightning Round” awards made this week from the Maine Technology Asset Fund, which was financed by a $45 million bond approved by voters in June 2017. MTI manages the fund on behalf of the state.
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Phase 1: $75 million project
The grant expands upon the partnership Maine Technology Institute established with JAX in 2015, when a $1.74 million Maine Technology Asset Fund grant launched the pilot phase of the project, which confirmed the feasibility of the innovative new facility.
Jackson Lab committed $75 million to Phase I of the three-phase project, and will match the $12.5 million grant from MTAF with an additional $47.5 million. Phase II of the project outfits the second of four sections of the facility with newly developed material processing, material conveyance, and animal racking and caging equipment.
In addition to the Ellsworth project, Jackson Lab also has construction projects under way on its Bar Harbor campus, including the Center for Biometric Analysis, which will equip scientists with essential, cutting-edge tools for detecting and measuring extremely subtle signs of disease at the cellular level in specialized mice. The center is expected to be ready for research occupancy in September 2018.
“We’re grateful for MTI’s belief in the importance of our work and their recognition of the significant impact the Laboratory has on Maine’s economy,” Jackson Lab COO and Executive Vice President Charles Hewett said in a news release. “The automated systems we’re implementing will significantly increase production safety and efficiency, and enhance product quality. Our new Ellsworth facility is an important step in advancing The Jackson Laboratory’s position as a global leader in research mouse production.”
MTI President Brian Whitney added that the Maine Technology Asset Fund award “recognizes the enormous economic impact that the JAX project will have in the Downeast Region of Maine. It will have the largest direct employment impact of the proposals that MTI received and, more importantly, the laboratory’s direct and indirect influence on helping to solve humankind’s most confounding health problems makes the investment even more compelling.”
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