Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Susan Collins, Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, announced that she secured $2,679,000 in Congressionally Directed Spending for The Jackson Laboratory (JAX) in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations bill. The bill, which passed the Senate last week and was approved by the House of Representatives this afternoon, has been signed into law.

"Leading the charge in the advancement of biomedical research, scientists at The Jackson Laboratory are conducting impressive research to improve human health and overcome challenges that affect nearly every family across the country," said Senator Collins. "This funding will support equipment upgrades, helping JAX continue its groundbreaking research. As the Chair of the Appropriations Committee, I worked hard to secure this important funding."

"I want to thank Senator Collins for supporting our request to significantly strengthen the biomedical imaging and microscopy technology on our Bar Harbor campus. These high-powered tools enable scientists to view the mechanisms of cells at a molecular level, advancing the search for solutions to human disease, including Alzheimer's disease, cancer, and rare diseases," said Lon Cardon, President and CEO, The Jackson Laboratory. "Maine's biomedical community is fortunate that Senator Collins shares our vision for a new era in human health and recognizes the importance of investing in infrastructure to propel Maine's innovation economy."

Funding for this project will support upgraded research equipment for biomedical imaging and advanced microscopy at JAX. These technologies would allow researchers to gather critical data using a variety of imaging systems to see biological activity at higher resolutions, higher speeds, and at a smaller scale than is possible with current equipment.

In 2021, Congress reinstituted Congressionally Directed Spending. Following this decision, Senator Collins has secured nearly $1.5 billion for hundreds of Maine projects for FY 2022, FY 2023, FY 2024, and FY 2026. As the Chair of the Appropriations Committee, Senator Collins is committed to championing targeted investments that will benefit Maine communities.

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