A Sacramento genetics laboratory is planning a $27 million expansion that will translate into 60 to 80 jobs.
Jackson Laboratory West said Tuesday it needs more space to accommodate the growing demand for its chief product: mice used in genetic research.
"We'll be expanding our mouse production capacity in Sacramento – we'll be about doubling it," said Charles Hewett, chief operating officer at the lab's parent organization, the Jackson Laboratory.
Jackson is a research nonprofit based in Maine.
Jackson's decision is sure to be welcomed by state officials, who were put on the defensive about California's business climate after two big employers announced shutdowns in a matter of days last week: Comcast and Campbell Soup Co.
"California's a great place for research and therefore it's a great place for us," Hewett said.
Hewett said the expansion project has already begun and is likely to be completed late next year.
The lab has been "expanding incrementally" but now will move forward with a full build-out of its Raley Boulevard facility, Hewett said.
The Sacramento lab employs about 130 workers. The additional hiring, totalling 60 to 80 workers, could take from two to five years to complete, Hewett said.
"As we need it, we'll populate a room with mice and people," he said.
Jackson grows hundreds of mice, known as JAX Mice, with different types of cancer and other maladies.
The mice are genetically groomed to grow human cancer tissues for use in research, diagnostics and treatment.
© Copyright The Sacramento Bee. All rights reserved.
• Read more articles by Dale Kasler
What You Should Know About Comments on Sacbee.com
Sacbee.com is happy to provide a forum for reader interaction, discussion, feedback and reaction to our stories. However, we reserve the right to delete inappropriate comments or ban users who can't play nice. (See our full terms of service here.)
Here are some rules of the road:
• Keep your comments civil. Don't insult one another or the subjects of our articles. If you think a comment violates our guidelines click the "Report Abuse" link to notify the moderators. Responding to the comment will only encourage bad behavior.
• Don't use profanities, vulgarities or hate speech. This is a general interest news site. Sometimes, there are children present. Don't say anything in a way you wouldn't want your own child to hear.
• Do not attack other users; focus your comments on issues, not individuals.
• Stay on topic. Only post comments relevant to the article at hand.
• Do not copy and paste outside material into the comment box.
• Don't repeat the same comment over and over. We heard you the first time.
• Do not use the commenting system for advertising. That's spam and it isn't allowed.
• Don't use all capital letters. That's akin to yelling and not appreciated by the audience.
• Don't flag other users' comments just because you don't agree with their point of view. Please only flag comments that violate these guidelines.
You should also know that The Sacramento Bee does not screen comments before they are posted. You are more likely to see inappropriate comments before our staff does, so we ask that you click the "Report Abuse" link to submit those comments for moderator review. You also may notify us via email at feedback@sacbee.com. Note the headline on which the comment is made and tell us the profile name of the user who made the comment. Remember, comment moderation is subjective. You may find some material objectionable that we won't and vice versa.
If you submit a comment, the user name of your account will appear along with it. Users cannot remove their own comments once they have submitted them.
Order Reprint
About Comments
Reader comments on Sacbee.com are the opinions of the writer, not The Sacramento Bee. If you see an objectionable comment, click the "Report Abuse" link below it. We will delete comments containing inappropriate links, obscenities, hate speech, and personal attacks. Flagrant or repeat violators will be banned. See more about comments here.