Definition of Jackson Laboratory

Jackson Laboratory: The premiere place for mouse genetics and the largest mammalian genetic research facility in the world. Many of the types of mice used in medical research originated at the laboratory which is in Bar Harbor on Mount Desert Island, Maine.

The Jackson Laboratory was founded in 1929 by Dr. Clarence Cook Little, a geneticist, as a cancer research center. Dr. Little believed that mouse models held the key to understanding the genetic basis of human development, diseases, and disorders. Today the scientific community recognizes the mouse as one of the most important models for human diseases and disorders.

A recent essay in the journal Nature observed, "At least 17 Nobel prizes, two major scientific tools (monoclonal antibodies and gene-targeted strains), profound scientific insights into the immune system, retroviruses, oncogenes, cancer, the inheritance of complex traits, and countless scientific experiments have flowed" from Little's work" at the Jackson Laboratory. The Laboratory is one of 10 institutions designated by The National Cancer Institute as a Basic Cancer Center dedicated to advancing the understanding of the genetic factors underlying cancer.