Millard and Muriel Jacobs: Expressing Commitment

Millard (BS '40) and Muriel Jacobs' involvement in the life of the Institute-he as an alumnus and volunteer and together as members of The Associates-has piqued their interest in a variety of topics from high energy physics to molecular biology. In fact, they say that the personal interaction they have had with Caltech faculty through Associates' trips and activities not only helps them maintain their close ties to the Institute, but also motivates them to generously support Caltech initiatives.

Over the years, they have provided funding for Caltech scientists studying atoms at zero temperatures, gender determining gene research, and the installation of long-needed air conditioning in The Athenaeum. Yet, when they decided the time was right to honor Caltech by making a further contribution to the Institute, they weren't sure where to direct their resources. So, characteristically, they simply asked for suggestions.

"We wanted to know what would be the best we could do for Caltech at this point in time," says Mr. Jacobs. Among many options was the Institute's need for a central laboratory for genetics and genomics studies. "The work of many Caltech faculty and research staff requires high-technology approaches to understanding genetic material and the computational analysis of genomic and genetic data," explains Elliot Meyerowitz, George W. Beadle Professor of Biology and chair of the Division of Biology. "However, the costs of laboratory equipment and personnel are beyond what an individual research group can afford to purchase and maintain."

Thus, Mr. and Mrs. Jacobs have provided gifts totaling $6 million to fund genetics and genomics activities as well as a new laboratory for this work. The facility has been named the Millard and Muriel Jacobs Genetics and Genomics Laboratory at Caltech in recognition of their generosity.

The core function of the Jacobs Laboratory is to conduct large-scale gene expression analysis. So, just what does that mean? When a gene operates or is "switched on" in an organism it is said to be "expressed." By expressing genes in a laboratory environment, scientists can identify the activity of specific genes responsible for specific proteins with specific functions in an organism. Additionally, they can determine the number, type, and level of genes that may be up-regulated or down-regulated during a cellular process, in response to an external stimulus, or in sickness or disease.

"Mr. and Mrs. Jacobs' support has been essential in bringing this new unit to campus," says the laboratory's director Dr. Jose Luis Riechmann. The techniques used in genetics and genomics research require expensive instrumentation and expert technicians. Most government and related resources-grants from the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health, for example-only fund research activities, not infrastructure.

Mr. Jacobs graduated from Caltech in 1940 with a bachelor's degree in civil engineering and began his career at Lockheed working in airplane structural design and shop production engineering. He then turned his attention to developing commercial real estate projects, joining Carter Company Contractors and Developers in 1948. Years later, Mr. Jacobs became one of the partners of the firm and eventually began buying out the other partners' stakes in the company. He formally closed the business earlier this year.

Mr. and Mrs. Jacobs joke that they met reluctantly. In fact, it was his mother and her grandmother who suggested they meet. Not wanting to waste a Saturday on a "set-up," the two made a date for a Sunday. But it seems the matchmakers knew what they were doing; the couple soon became engaged, married, and today boast three children, six grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren-with one more on the way! Over the years, they have expanded their familiarity with arts, sciences, and social causes through their varied philanthropic endeavors, including their loyal support of the Pasadena Symphony, Angel Flight, the Devereux School in Santa Barbara, and numerous adventures with the Caltech Associates.

The knowledge that their support of the genetics and genomics facility would bring new functionality to campus was a major factor in Mr. and Mrs. Jacobs' decision to fund the laboratory. As Mr. Jacobs explains, "The laboratory's personnel do not conduct independent research. Instead, these specialists become valuable extensions of other research teams, applying their expertise to the range of problems inherent to the varied research projects being pursued." Likewise, the facility provides another avenue to foster communication among researchers and new projects on fundamental and applied problems in genomics.

Many faculty are already taking advantage of the new facility's capabilities. David Anderson, Roger W. Sperry Professor of Biology and Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator, for example, applies gene expression analysis to his research in the development of the nervous system and nervous system functions. Biology professor Ellen Rothenberg explains that her team uses the facility's technology to study the mechanisms that drive the development of blood stem cells into the immune system's "T cells." In addition, Bren Professor of Biology Henry Lester employs genetics and genomics experimentation to investigations on the molecules of excitability in the nervous system, such as those that form the receptors for nicotine in the brain. "We hope to determine the genes activated during nicotine addiction," says Dr. Lester.

The applications of research employing gene expression analysis lie at the heart of a wide variety of medical and biological research activities, such as understanding basic biological processes, classifying diseases, and identifying new drug targets. Today, the Jacobs Laboratory, located in the Kerckhoff Laboratories building, is a full-time operation under the direction of Dr. Riechmann.

By Vannessa Dodson