The Jackson Laboratory

The Jackson Laboratory

@jax.org

Est. 1929, JAX is a nonprofit scientific research institute specializing in genetics, genomics, mouse, and cellular models of disease. www.jax.org

3.4K followers897 following557 posts

A new study in @science.org, led by JAX’s @olgaanczukow.bsky.social, reveals how some lung tumors sabotage STAT2, a key immune-alarm gene, through RNA splicing. The different isoforms produced by this process were associated with how well lung cancer patients respond to immunotherapy.

jax.orgOverlooked ‘off switch’ in lung tumors may explain why immunotherapy doesn't work for everyoneA new study shows that lung tumors can disable a key immune-alarm gene without mutating its DNA and that the pattern tracks with how well patients respond to treatment.

Every specialized in your body cell began with the same remarkable potential. 🧬 The new Basics of iPSCs Learning Path from JAX Genomic Education is an approachable course that explores everything from the fundamentals of stem cells to iPSC applications. Check it out ➡️ https://bit.ly/4dS6CfE

Endometriosis pain has now been biologically mapped. In a new Nature Communications study, JAX researchers looked at samples from the EndoRISE biorepository and found nerves and immune cells interact in lesions to amplify pain signaling. . https://bit.ly/4ic321p

A state-mandated biorepository of endometriosis biospecimens aims to broaden how researchers approach the chronically understudied disease. A new paper in Frontiers in Reproductive Health describes the core components of the EndoRISE model and how it can be adapted by others. https://bit.ly/3WexWi9

One wrong letter in your DNA can cause a rare disease. Gene editing lets us go in and fix it. 🧬 Here’s a quick break down CRISPR, base editing & prime editing. Learn more about how JAX scientists are using these techniques to correct rare disease mutations in the lab: https://bit.ly/3VPcUGA

Day one of the 2026 JAX-NYSCF Conference is underway! 🧬 We’ve kicked things off hearing from leaders in the field, engaging panel discussions and plenty of opportunities to make connections. It’s already been a great day of ideas, collaboration and conversation — and we’re just getting started.

Science moves faster with the right team and resources. JAX is recruiting faculty in aging, systems immunology, and computational biology to join a collaborative research environment supported by advanced scientific services and data science initiatives. https://go.jax.org/276n55 #AcademicSky

The Jackson Laboratory reposted

Explore interactive, free resources developed by #RareDisease experts at @jax.org! 👇 ⏱️ 15 MINUTES | Learn about the complexity of rare disease & the unique challenge it presents. Explore the patient journey—from diagnosis to research to drug development: education.learning.jax.org/the-complexi...

education.learning.jax.orgThe Complexity of Rare DiseaseLearn about the complexity of rare disease and the unique difficulty it presents to patients and families by exploring the patient journey—from diagnosis to research to drug development.

The analysis does not rule out a true association of the remaining genes with CP, the authors said. It shows that sufficient evidence does not exist to establish a statistically significant association.

Further research will focus on building larger patient cohorts, conducting prospective studies of clinical utility and cost-effectiveness, and improving the accessibility of genomic and clinical data.

The team also conducted whole-genome sequencing on 460 children from 453 families who had been diagnosed with CP and treated at Shriners Children’s hospitals around the U.S.

Genetic variants classified as pathogenic or likely pathogenic were identified in 70 families, involving 60 different genes. Only 16 of those 60 genes overlapped with genes that showed statistically significant evidence of association in the authors’ analysis of previously published studies.

This study challenges some of those assumptions. The team examined genetic evidence from 21 studies involving 5,440 people diagnosed w/CP. Those studies reported potentially causal variants in a total of 515 genes. The new analysis found a statistically significant association with CP for only 89.

Cerebral palsy (CP) is the most common motor disability in children, with up to 10,000 babies diagnosed in the United States every year. Unlike many other neuromotor diseases found in children, CP is nonprogressive, meaning that it does not worsen over time.

With rehab and PT, many patients can see improvements in their symptoms. While it has largely been linked to prematurity, temporary loss of oxygen to the brain, or other events at birth, research over the past decade has suggested that genetic factors contribute to CP in many children.

Only a fraction of the hundreds of genes previously associated with cerebral palsy are strongly linked to this condition, according to a new study of data from more than 5,000 people led by researchers from The Jackson Laboratory (JAX).

The findings suggest cerebral palsy may be better described as a collection of symptoms that can occur in many different conditions because of genetic variants and environmental factors—not a single disease with genetic causes. The study appears today in the American Journal of Human Genetics.

JAX @jaxeducation.bsky.social & the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities (CSCU) system have completed development of Genomics in Action—a federally-funded series of 13 online modules designed to prepare undergraduate students for careers in bioscience, biotechnology and precision medicine. 🧬

jax.orgJAX and Connecticut State Community College educators advance genomics workforce training with online modulesGenomics in Action learning path brings applied science, career exploration, and workforce-ready skills to community college students.
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JAX @jaxeducation.bsky.social & the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities (CSCU) system have completed development of Genomics in Action—a federally-funded series of 13 online modules designed to prepare undergraduate students for careers in bioscience, biotechnology and precision medicine. 🧬

jax.orgJAX and Connecticut State Community College educators advance genomics workforce training with online modulesGenomics in Action learning path brings applied science, career exploration, and workforce-ready skills to community college students.

By connecting genomics concepts to workplace applications and career pathways, the initiative expands access to genomics education and helps strengthen the future bioscience workforce nationwide.

Genomics is shaping healthcare, biotechnology, and biomedical research, making a foundational understanding of the field increasingly valuable across a range of educational and career pathways. Yet many students encounter genomics as an abstract topic that lacks connection to their future careers.

When it comes to aging skin, scientists think deeper than wrinkles. It's an organ with multitudes of microbes, immune cells, structural proteins, and chemical signals that constantly interact with one another. The skin microbiome could also serve as a window into the biology of aging and frailty. 🧪

jax.orgSkin is our most accessible organ. Could it reveal new clues about aging and frailty?How JAX scientists are investigating whether our skin microbiome could serve as a window into the biology of aging and frailty.
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When it comes to aging skin, scientists think deeper than wrinkles. It's an organ with multitudes of microbes, immune cells, structural proteins, and chemical signals that constantly interact with one another. The skin microbiome could also serve as a window into the biology of aging and frailty. 🧪

jax.orgSkin is our most accessible organ. Could it reveal new clues about aging and frailty?How JAX scientists are investigating whether our skin microbiome could serve as a window into the biology of aging and frailty.
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While many of the body's changes associated with aging occur in organs that are difficult to sample repeatedly, skin offers a unique advantage, Jalili said.

In theory, the skin’s microbes, inflammatory signals, immune cells, and other age-related changes could be monitored over time with minimally invasive technologies and little burden on patients.

When it comes to aging skin, scientists think deeper than wrinkles. It's an organ with multitudes of microbes, immune cells, structural proteins, and chemical signals that constantly interact with one another. The skin microbiome could also serve as a window into the biology of aging and frailty. 🧪

jax.orgSkin is our most accessible organ. Could it reveal new clues about aging and frailty?How JAX scientists are investigating whether our skin microbiome could serve as a window into the biology of aging and frailty.

In an article recently published in @science.org with Julia Oh, formerly of JAX and now a microbiologist and professor at Duke University, Jalili argues that skin is an accessible ecosystem that scientists may be able to sample repeatedly and relatively easily for clues into the biology of aging.

By creating and sharing these models, along with supporting datasets and protocols, the team will offer research laboratories worldwide new tools to investigate disease mechanisms, compare results, and identify potential paths toward new therapies.

JAX-NYSCF researchers develop standardized research tools that will help researchers better understand how genetic factors associated with the disease affect the health and function of brain cells.