December 4, 2023 · Innovation, Stories

Innovation from the Wiregrass to the Globe

Innovation in Alabama expands well beyond the state’s lines—thanks to the groundbreaking research at HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, people in Alabama and beyond will benefit from scientific advances to agriculture. 

HudsonAlpha is a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving life around the globe through discovery, education and economic development in the genomic sciences.

The HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology has a three-fold mission of conducting genomics-based research to improve human health and well being, sparking entrepreneurship and educating the public on biotech.

Its reach extends beyond its Huntsville campus, thanks to partnerships including the expansion of the institute to Dothan and the Wiregrass.

HudsonAlpha Wiregrass is a public-private collaboration between the HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology and the City of Dothan to expand HudsonAlpha’s mission of developing and applying those scientific advances into the Wiregrass region. Through evaluating innovation possibilities, engaging local and regional stakeholders, leveraging current business resources and establishing and supporting new ventures, HudsonAlpha Wiregrass is expanding agriscience innovation. 

According to Dean Mitchell, the Director of HudsonAlpha Wiregrass, the new center “will be in the Wiregrass Innovation Center in downtown Dothan where all will work together to spark innovation, enhance STEM education and inspire economic growth.”

The collaboration drives research that applies the power of genomics to improve the plants we use for food, feed, fuel and fiber. In addition to advances made through research, HudsonAlpha Wiregrass will bring engaging education opportunities to students, educators and the broader public and will bring new jobs and economic opportunities to the Wiregrass region.

Thanks to recently-awarded funding through the Alabama Department of Economic & Community Affairs, HudsonAlpha is working to provide those in Alabama’s timber industry with a low-cost genomic tool that identifies and verifies the types of tree growing throughout the state. The project utilizes a HudsonAlpha-developed sequencing and analysis tool to determine tree specifications, saving time and energy in the $27-billion-a-year forestry sector.

Through continuous collaboration, HudsonAlpha and HudsonAlpha Wiregrass will bring innovation from the Wiregrass region to the globe, creating positive impacts for generations to come.

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