Jackson Lab In Maine Expands Genetics Research To Florida, USF

Jackson Laboratory in Maine is joining forces with the University of South Florida and Edison State College in Fort Myers to create a biomedical village in Collier County near Naples.

Athleticode Inc, of Larkspur, CA will be one of the private companies joining Jackson Laboratory on a 50-acre site off Oil Well Road.

Jackson Lab and Athleticode will be researching the genetic basis of athletic injuries in the biomedical village.

Jackson Lab expects more companies to join the village in the future.

The village will be a live, learn, work and creative community. It is also expected to attract pharmaceutical, biotechnology and medical supply companies. The village plans also call for a teaching hospital, specialized clinics, a university extension and a science and math high school.

The laboratory directors also wants to create a research institute in Collier County. It is hoping that this will be the epicenter of medical researching, teaching, practice and commercialization in personalized medicine.

Personalized medicine uses new tools that will provide understanding of an individual's unique genetic make-up and be able to guide an individual's healthcare based on his or her specific genetics. The anticipated results are increased wellness, improved treatments and decreased costs. According to PriceWaterhouseCoopers, personalized medicine is a $232 billion industry that is expected to almost double to $450 billion by 2015.

Jackson Laboratory is a National Cancer Institute-designated independent and nonprofit research center with 1,300 employees in Bar Harbor, ME and Sacramento, CA. The company's mission is to discover, prevent, treat and cure human diseases. It is also working on research and education for the global biomedical community.

The University of South Florida is West Florida's leading medical research institution with campuses in Tampa, St. Petersburg, Lakeland and Sarasota. Edison State College offers a variety of two- and four-year degrees programs with campuses in Lee, Charlotte and Collier counties. 

Writer: Mandy Erfourth
Source: Mike Hyde, Jackson Laboratory