History
HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology is a nonprofit institute dedicated to innovating in the field of genomic technology and sciences across a spectrum of biological challenges. Opened in 2008, its mission is three-fold: sparking scientific discoveries that can impact human health and well-being; fostering life sciences entrepreneurship and business growth; and encouraging the creation of a genomics-literate workforce and society. The HudsonAlpha biotechnology campus consists of 152 acres nestled within Cummings Research Park, the nation’s second largest research park. Designed to be a hothouse of biotech economic development, HudsonAlpha’s state-of-the-art facilities co-locate nonprofit scientific researchers with entrepreneurs and educators. The relationships formed on the HudsonAlpha campus encourage collaborations that produce advances in medicine and agriculture. Under the leadership of Dr. Richard M. Myers, a key collaborator on the Human Genome Project, HudsonAlpha has become a national and international leader in genetics and genomics research and biotech education, and includes more than 45 diverse biotech companies on campus.
HudsonAlpha’s research and teaching missions are focused on genomics and genetics for truly individualized medicine, developing new and sustainable energy sources, and understanding the normal function of cells and organisms. HudsonAlpha is home to 17 faculty investigators whose research interests and expertise span the genetic basis for biodiversity, computational and statistical strategies for understanding how genomic variants shape phenotypic variation, high-throughput sequencing strategies and technology, the genetic and epigenetic basis of human diseases, deep analysis of the immune system (including rapid and accurate measurements of the immune repertoire), de novo genome sequencing of economically valuable plants and other organisms, and metabolomics. Gene expression and other functional genomics projects and genome-wide and targeted DNA sequencing technologies are extensively studied at HudsonAlpha along with the social, ethical, and psychological ramifications of incorporating genomic data into patient care. The faculty have been directly involved in large-scale projects such as the Human Genome Project, The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), the Encyclopedia of DNA Elements (ENCODE) Project, very large studies of the genetics of ALS and bipolar disorder, and numerous other consortia.
In addition, HudsonAlpha is home to the Genome Sequencing Center – one of the few centers in the world that specializes in de novo eukaryotic whole genome sequencing, assembly and analysis – the CAP accredited and CLIA licensed Clinical Services Lab, and The Smith Family Clinic for Genomic Medicine.
Additionally, HudsonAlpha’s Educational Outreach group offers training opportunities for medical, nursing, and genetic counseling students. The team also provides continuing educations for practicing healthcare providers.
HudsonAlpha faculty investigators cultivate a rich network of collaborations around the globe with leading research universities, medical schools, health centers, and industry partners. The Institute has formalized several joint ventures to discover, co-develop and commercialize technologies and methods and to integrate genomics into medical state-of-the-art. With the University of Alabama at Birmingham, HudsonAlpha created the Center for Genomic Medicine and, with its Comprehensive Cancer Center, the Alabama Cancer Consortium. Together they have numerous ongoing research efforts.
CCTS Partnership
As a CCTS partner, HudsonAlpha’s investigative expertise is in high-throughput genomics, bioinformatics, and analytic pipelines. The Institute’s contribution facilitates research by providing scientific consultation to investigators to inform the use of genomics in their investigation. Furthermore, HudsonAlpha facilitates the development of innovative approaches and specialized technology for genetic and genomic analysis. It also performs the genome sequencing and analysis for the Undiagnosed Diseases Program (UDP), a signature project that combines the computational and bioinformatic expertise of HudsonAlpha with the clinical genetic expertise of UAB. As part of HudsonAlpha’s participation in the CCTS Training Academy, they serve as co-mentors to trainees and offer mini-sabbaticals, community education, and outreach programs.
To learn more about the research initiatives and resources at HudsonAlpaha Institute for Biotechnology, click here.