JAX—West: The Beginning of a New Era in Biomedical Research
JAX® NOTES Issue 514, Summer 2009
In 2001, The Jackson Laboratory established a small facility in West Sacramento, California. In 2008, the Laboratory started planning to move into a considerably expanded (117,000 ft2) facility, and, this year, on May 6, it celebrated the Grand Opening of that facility — The Jackson Laboratory—West, or "JAX—West" as it is popularly known. The Grand Opening was followed by a Special Symposium, at which leaders in the biomedical research community spoke about the critical role that laboratory mice have played — and will continue to play — in improving human life. JAX—West meets the highest federal, state, and voluntary standards for the care, health, and genetic quality of laboratory mice, will distribute a greater variety and number of JAX— Mice than ever before, and has expanded its offerings of cutting-edge research services to the rapidly growing biomedical research community in the Western United States.
Director and CEO Richard Woychik delivers his speech
at The Grand Opening of "JAX—West" on May 6.
According to Jackson Laboratory President and CEO Richard Woychik, Ph.D., about twice as much biomedical research is conducted in California as in the entire East Coast corridor between Maine and the Research Triangle area of North Carolina. California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger commented, "I am thrilled that The Jackson Laboratory has doubled the size of its research facility in California, an action that will advance cancer, stem cell, and other potentially life-saving genetic research, as well as create new, high-paying jobs." (JAX—West has grown from 80 to 100 staff and is expected to grow to 150 staff within three years.) Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson also commented: "The new Sacramento Jackson Laboratory facility is a major investment in the community. Not only will it generate jobs, but it will further cement California's position as a leader in the biotech industry. The cutting-edge scientific research that JAX—West supports will undoubtedly advance us toward cures for a variety of diseases and improve the lives of people in California and around the world."
The Grand Opening of "JAX—West" on May 6 was followed
by a Special Symposium.
Over its 80-year history, The Jackson Laboratory has developed a special role in supporting the world's biomedical research community through its JAX® Mice & Services (JMS). Dr. Perlmutter, M.D., Ph.D., Executive Vice President of Research and Development at Amgen, Inc., said at the Grand Opening, "It's fair to say that the therapeutic enhancers that have occurred in the last three decades have rested firmly on a base of research in laboratory mice, and that entire base of research comes from The Jackson Laboratory." In addition to distributing millions of laboratory mice to laboratories all over the world, JMS has developed unparalleled expertise in monitoring disease symptoms and testing new drugs and therapies in living "in vivo" mouse models. Says Jackson Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Chuck Hewett, Ph.D.: "Today the Laboratory's sale of mice on the West Coast is growing rapidly, and its in vivo services are in demand throughout the scientific world. Through this in vivo approach, scientists can track how cancer and other diseases progress throughout the lifespan of a mouse and also how these diseases respond to innovative drug compounds. This promotes better understanding of human disease processes and enables the development of new treatments."
You can watch videos of the presentations given at the JAX—West Grand Opening and Special Symposium by logging on to our website.
Are you a West Coast researcher looking for the healthiest and genetically well defined laboratory mice in the world — and in vivo research services conducted by experts with years of experience? Look no further than JAX—West.
