Officials and crews celebrated the ceremonial “topping out” of the new Center for Biometric Analysis at The Jackson Laboratory on Jan. 9.

Dozens of employees and dignitaries braved the frigid temperatures in Bar Harbor, Maine, on Jan. 9 to celebrate the ceremonial “topping out” of the new Center for Biometric Analysis at The Jackson Laboratory.

In building construction, “topping out” is a builders' rite traditionally held when the last beam is placed atop a structure during its construction.

“This is a continuation of a long tradition at The Jackson Laboratory in which the mouse as a genetic model for human disease has really been at the center of our mission,” said JAX scientific director Nadia Rosenthal. “Now we have this wonderful opportunity to do something that nobody else can do, which is to take all these wonderful models and realize their potential in the search for cures and prevention of disease.”

The 21,000-sq.-ft. (1,951 sq m) facility will equip scientists with essential, cutting-edge tools for detecting and measuring extremely subtle signs of disease at the cellular level in specialized mice, using high-powered imaging and analytical devices and animal models.

The building was designed by Harriman Associates of Auburn, Maine, and is being built by P.C. Construction of Portland, Maine. Construction is scheduled for completion by the end of 2017.

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