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The HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology is an Huntsville, Alabama-based non-profit genomics research facility with a threefold mission of research, economic development and educational outreach.

History
The HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, a Huntsville, Alabama-based, genomics research institute was the concept of Jim Hudson that came to fruition in 2007.

Hudson's previous company, Research Genetics, opened its doors in 1987. The company soon became the world leader in producing synthetic DNA, providing the research tools critical to the work of the Human Genome Project.

The institute entered planning stages in 2004, when Hudson and other principals envisioned a non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization that would utilize high-throughput genomic technologies to cultivate advances in personalized medicine. Anonymous, private donations totaling $80 million were pledged between 2004 and 2005. In August 2005, Alabama Governor Bob Riley pledged $50 million in state funds to supplement private donations and to begin work on the institute facilities. Ground broke for the HudsonAlpha Institute in January 2006. The groundbreaking ceremony included the formal announcement of a Cummings Research Park Biotech Campus. This announcement made available 150 acres of land outside of the 270,000-square-foot HudsonAlpha facility for more biotech office and laboratory space.

Dr. Rick Myers officially joined HudsonAlpha as director in September 2007, relocating from his position at Stanford to lead the institute. Myers brought three additional Stanford staff, Drs. Devin Absher and Jane Grimwood and Jeremy Schmutz, who joined HudsonAlpha as Faculty Investigators. Dr. Jian Han, formerly of Genaco also joined the institute as a Faculty Investigator.

Ribbon cutting for the associates' wing of the institute and the announcement of 12 resident companies was November 2007. Lease space is filled and expansion plans are under development. The formal grand opening for the research wing of HudsonAlpha was April 28, 2008, in concert with national DNA Day. Francis Collins was the keynote speaker.

Research projects
The HudsonAlpha Institute's scientific research areas include:


 * The Encyclopedia of DNA Elements (ENCODE) Project
 * The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) Project
 * Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute


 * ADVANCE heart genomics research initiative
 * Immunogenetics research
 * Genetic and genomic studies of human populations and diseases
 * Genomic sequencing of organisms, particularly related to biofuels
 * Computational Biology and Bioinformatics

Faculty
HudsonAlpha currently is home to seven faculty investigators, each with their own laboratory and area of expertise.

HudsonAlpha faculty investigators are:


 * Devin Absher is working on complex genetic diseases and traits. He incorporates the study of epigenetic influences on disease development by looking at genome-wide methylation patterns in disease populations. He also is continuing his work on population genetics and the emerging field of copy number variation. Before his move to HudsonAlpha in 2007, Absher worked at the Stanford Human Genome Center.
 * Jane Grimwood


 * Chris Gunter


 * Jian Han has a medical degree from Suzhou Medical College in JiangSu Province, China, in addition to a Ph.D. Han founded biotech company Genaco in 1996. Genaco was the first company to introduce Down syndrome prenatal screening and diagnostic service to China. During the SARS outbreak of 2003, Genaco developed technology and products for molecular differential diagnoses of infectious diseases. Han created a novel multiplex PCR technology, tem-PCR, that allows multiple molecular targets to be amplified in one reaction. Han is currently using tem-PCR technology to develop panels that can detect any of the major causes of one infection using a single test.


 * Neil Lamb


 * Rick Myers is the president and director of the HudsonAlpha Institute. Dr. Myers was formerly Chair of the Department of Genetics at Stanford University.  Myers' lab uses genomics tools and genetics to understand how genes interacting with the environment contribute to human diseases and other traits.


 * Jeremy Schmutz

Facilities
The threefold mission of HudsonAlpha is evident in the facility's architecture. Two wings - one dedicated to non-profit research that houses Faculty Investigators and their laboratories and one for the 14 resident associate companies - are separated by a four-story atrium. The two wings are bridged by walkways with seating areas at each floor designed to encourage collaboration between researchers and associates, with the goal of speeding discovery of diagnostics and therapies from bench to market.

HudsonAlpha is located at 601 Genome Way, in the western portion of Cummings Research Park. The 270,000-square-foot facility provides ample space for the laboratories, offices and common areas that comprise the institute.