BAR HARBOR, Maine (AP) The National Institute on Aging has awarded a Maine laboratory nearly a half million dollars to research a blood condition that is common in older adults.

Jackson Laboratory associate professor Jennifer Trowbridge will conduct the research on clonal hematopoiesis. The disease puts older people at risk of cancer and cardiovascular disease.

Maine independent Sen. Angus King and Republican Sen. Susan Collins said the research is an example of work at Jackson Laboratory that is “making great strides to conquer diseases that affect nearly every American family.”

Jackson Laboratory chief operating officer S. Catherine Longley said the award will help scientists further understand how blood cells become more prone to disorders as people age.