Question 2 Biomedical-marine research

Question 2

Do you favor a $5,000,000 bond issue for biomedical and marine research and development by Maine-based nonprofit and state research institutions?

Passage of a $5 million bond issue for biomedical and marine research would bring more high-paying jobs to Maine, enticing the state’s young people to stay here to work, according to supporters of ballot Question 2.

The money would be used to make infrastructure improvements at laboratories and research facilities throughout the state. Such improvements will enable these institutions to compete for more than $40 million in federal research grants officials have identified. Such grants do not usually cover the cost of buildings and equipment needed to undertake research, so it is important to have a source of funds for such things.

The institutions promoting passage of the bond issue are The Jackson Laboratory in Bar Harbor, Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory in Salisbury Cove, Maine Medical Center Research Institute in Scarborough, Foundation for Blood Research in Scarborough and the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine in Biddeford. Together they form the Maine Biomedical Research Coalition.

They, along with other research labs, would be eligible to receive some of the $5 million. The University of Maine was not included because of past infusions of bond money for research.

Of the money requested, $4 million would go toward biomedical research and $1 million would be allocated to marine research.

The Jackson Laboratory in Bar Harbor, for example, would use its share of the funds to help pay for its planned 80,000-square-foot expansion. The lab, which does genetics research, expects to add 200 jobs with the addition to its building. It now employs 1,050 people.

“Any money the state sends us, we are able to turn into more money … and good jobs that will keep Maine students in Maine,” said Joyce Peterson, a spokeswoman for the laboratory.

Last year, the Legislature gave $10 million to the Maine Biomedical Research Coalition. With that money, the institutions secured $47 million in outside grants. Jackson Lab’s share was $6.1 million, which it leveraged into $30 million, primarily from the National Institutes of Health.

The coalition had asked lawmakers for another $10 million but instead received a $4 million allocation and the placement of the $5 million bond issue on this November’s ballot.

No specific formula has been devised to divvy up the money from the bond issue, Peterson said, but, it would be allocated to the different institutions based on their past success in winning federal grants.

The MDI Biological Lab also hopes to receive funds to expand its seaside facilities. The lab now is primarily a seasonal facility that attracts about 60 scientists each summer from around the world.

Researchers there are sequencing the genome of the dogfish. The creature, which has a single gland that regulates salt content in the body, helps researchers better understand human diseases such as hypertension, glaucoma and cystic fibrosis.

The lab recently received a $3.7 million grant from the National Institutes of Health, said spokeswoman Jerilyn Bowers.

A report issued last week by the Maine Science and Technology Foundation found that while Maine has substantially increased its financial support for research and development, the state still lags behind.

“The report confirms that Maine has a long way to go to achieve R&D competitiveness,” said Joel Russ, foundation president. “While the state is not yet a major national or regional player, there is some evidence of improvement.”

The report, done by a team of national researchers, is the first of a series of five yearly evaluations requested by the Legislature.

One bright spot was the growth of the state’s biomedical research labs, according to the report. They have developed distinctive niches in areas of increasing national interest and, as such, have a high likelihood of winning increased federal funding, it concluded.

Increased investment in research and development will help the state’s economy by spurring the growth of new industries, new companies and new jobs, according to the report.