Biotechnology Institute celebrating by hosting a variety of public activities throughout its milestone year
HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology invites the public to celebrate its 15-year anniversary throughout 2023.
The Institute’s grand opening took place on National DNA Day, April 25, 2008, which commemorates the discovery of the DNA double helix in 1953 and the completion of the Human Genome Project in April 2003.
The Institute’s unique model as a nonprofit institute dedicated to developing and applying scientific advances to health, agriculture, education and commercialization, set by founders Jim Hudson and the late Lonnie McMillian, guided HudsonAlpha since it first opened its doors in 2008.
“Lonnie and I wanted to create something that had never been done before,” Hudson said. “We wanted educators talking to researchers, researchers talking to entrepreneurs, and everybody working together in one space.”
To commemorate the anniversary, HudsonAlpha will host a variety of public activities including a year-long speaker series, an exhibit in collaboration with the Smithsonian Institution and the City of Huntsville, and other special events. All of the 15th-anniversary events are free and open to the public. Visit https://www.hudsonalpha.org/anniversary/ for details.
“As one of the earliest employees hired by Jim and Lonnie, I’ve been fortunate to participate in HudsonAlpha’s phenomenal growth over the last 15 years,” said Neil Lamb, PhD, president. “In keeping with our co-founder’s vision, HudsonAlpha is a thriving bioscience ecosystem where genomics-based research, entrepreneurship and educational outreach combine to improve the human condition around the globe.”
In addition to those events, the HudsonAlpha Foundation launched the Innovation Fund campaign to allow the community to financially support the Institute’s mission. Funds raised in this campaign will be put to immediate use supporting five key pillars of innovation – talent, technology, seeding, scaling, and training – to propel HudsonAlpha into the next 15 years and beyond.
The speaker series, sponsored by Avilution, will feature guests from a variety of disciplines, ranging from education to genomic medicine to biodiversity. Speakers include: Hudson and acclaimed geneticist Dr. Mary-Claire King.