BAR HARBOR – The Jackson Laboratory has received two grants from the National Institutes of Health totaling nearly $600,000, according to officials.

The grants are part of $1.5 million awarded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to five nonprofit or state government agencies in Maine.

One grant for Jackson Laboratory, $363,343 from the National Institute for Child Health and Human Development, is expected to fund a research project on the development of mammalian oocyte-granulosa cell complex as part of the laboratory’s research for mothers and children initiative. The institute investigates the broad aspects of human development as a means of understanding developmental disabilities.

The other, $234,900 from the National Cancer Institute, is slated for research of mammary tumor stem cells as part of Jackson Laboratory’s cancer biology research department.

The grants were announced in a prepared statement released by U.S. Rep. Michael Michaud and in a joint statement by Sens. Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe.

According to Collins and Snowe, an additional amount of nearly $1 million was awarded Tuesday to other Maine agencies by the U.S. DHHS, which oversees NIH.

The University of Maine in Orono received $280,700 to be used to study the functional role of Zebrafish TLR Proteins. Maine Department of Health and Human Services is getting $180,000 for the department’s Senior Medicare Patrol project and $240,520 for the Maine Oral Health program.

St. Croix Regional Health Center in Princeton received $130,342 for the facility’s health care needs and basic maintenance operations.

In addition, the state Bureau of Accounts and Control is getting $150,000 for a universal newborn hearing screening program.