2025 Year in Review
Rising to the Challenge: Innovation and Impact in a Transforming Research Landscape
By: Sarah Sharman, PhD
2025 was a year of perseverance and progress for HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology. Across the nation, research institutions faced tighter budgets, shifting funding priorities, and delayed federal decisions. Despite these challenges, our mission to use genomics to improve life has remained unwavering.
HudsonAlpha’s researchers, educators, and entrepreneurs continued to advance discoveries that improve human health, strengthen food systems, and prepare the next generation of STEM leaders. Our campus community proved again that collaboration fuels resilience and innovation.
Throughout the year, we hosted nine events both on campus and in the community, welcoming more than 4,500 participants. For the final event of the year, we hosted former NIH director Dr. Francis Collins for a timely discussion about the importance of biotech research to our country.
We marked major milestones, including the Smith Family Clinic’s 10th anniversary and the launch of the HOPE-AD pilot study, which reached full enrollment capacity. Meanwhile, the Alabama Genomic Health Initiative (AGHI) reached its 10,000th participant, and our team was named one of 15 national finalists from an initial pool of over 300 in the NSF Regional Engines program.
“This year reminded us that progress is never easy, but it is always possible when talented people come together with purpose. I’m deeply proud of how the HudsonAlpha community met uncertainty with creativity and conviction, and how, together, we continue to turn challenges into opportunities for impact.”
Research Mission: Advancing Discovery through Collaboration
HudsonAlpha’s researchers continue to drive genomic innovation, leveraging cutting-edge technology and strategic partnerships to uncover fundamental insights in human health, agriculture, and environmental biology.
While the national research climate presented significant challenges, our researchers and staff submitted a record 80 proposals in 2025, a testament to their dedication and creativity. Thirty-two of those proposals have been reviewed so far, of which eleven have received funding, resulting in a 34 percent win rate. Forty-eight awards are still pending, totaling a potential of over $52 million in funding.
“The funding landscape in 2025 was more competitive than ever, but our researchers met that challenge with fresh ideas and a willingness to pursue unconventional paths. By expanding our network of sponsors and exploring new funding mechanisms, we continued to advance world‑class science while strengthening HudsonAlpha’s resilience for the future.”
Among the key awards and recognitions in 2025:
- HudsonAlpha-led team advanced to the final round of the NSF Regional Innovation Engines program. Funding decisions will be made in 2026 after site visits.
- Amazon awarded an Amazon Web Services Imagine grant to Greg Cooper, PhD, Scott Newberry, and the software development team to advance data-driven genomics tools.
- Over $2 million in ADECA grants that will support three initiatives using biotechnology to strengthen Alabama’s agriculture and forestry sectors.
- Two HudsonAlpha trainees were named recipients of NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) awards—an exciting recognition of the next generation of genomic scientists trained here.
- Our Education Outreach team received an Alabama STEM Council grant to develop and distribute bioscience career materials to high school students across the Wiregrass and the state.
Our faculty and research teams were equally productive in publishing and sharing new knowledge. HudsonAlpha scientists authored more than 70 peer-reviewed manuscripts and review articles in 2025. Highlights include:
- The Swaminathan lab, including several trainees, published a review article on the progress and future of plant transformation for crop improvement.
- The Clevenger Lab and collaborators at the University of Georgia identified a resistance locus for tomato spotted wilt virus, a breakthrough that will protect crops and support farmers.
- The Cooper Lab and its collaborators discovered a new gene-disease association, expanding the understanding of rare genetic conditions.
- Members of the Genome Sequencing Center were part of a study that looked at the full set of genes (pangenomics) across many sorghum plants to figure out how this important crop survived a major global aphid infestation.
Beyond journal pages, three HudsonAlpha researchers were invited to present at the Plant and Animal Genome (PAG) webinar series, amplifying the Institute’s scientific leadership worldwide.
Educational Outreach: Inspiring and Equipping Tomorrow’s Innovators
HudsonAlpha’s Educational Outreach (EO) team reached more than 1.74 million learners during the 2024–2025 academic year, extending our impact to students, educators, and community members across Alabama and around the globe.
This year, the EO program achieved several exciting milestones:
- Published a peer-reviewed paper describing FILTERED, an NIH-funded online learning game introducing bioinformatics to high school students nationwide.
- Launched SPARK in four local middle schools—an NSF-funded, afterschool genomics program giving students hands-on experience in real research.
- Introduced the first activity for elementary students, now offered in local Boys & Girls Clubs.
- Provided Biotech Launch training to 16 community college students preparing for careers in biotechnology.
- Welcomed 30 BioTrain interns, bringing the program’s alumni network to more than 450 participants.
- Delivered three national presentations at the National Association for Biology Teachers conference.
Beyond the numbers, HudsonAlpha’s team continues to expand access and opportunity for learners across the state:
- A new series of GREAT Workshops gave Alabama biology teachers cutting-edge classroom tools focused on genomics and the power of data.
- Our first summer Educator Academy in Dothan offered immersive training and hands-on experiences for teachers in the Wiregrass region.
- We introduced Invention Convention Worldwide to North Alabama, supporting the first regional student competition planned for March 2026.
- Through partnerships with Huntsville City Schools, HudsonAlpha developed a new research-focused biotechnology course at New Century Technology High School, giving students early access to authentic research experiences.
“Every learner we reach represents a spark of potential that can change the future of science. This year, our team opened more doors than ever, bringing genomic education to classrooms, communities, and campuses across Alabama and around the world. It’s inspiring to see how curiosity grows when students and teachers realize that discovery isn’t distant, it’s something they can be part of right now.”
Economic Development: Fueling Innovation and Growth Across Alabama
HudsonAlpha’s economic development efforts continue to create opportunities for biotech companies, entrepreneurs, and the local workforce, driving innovation in both North Alabama and the Wiregrass region.
This year, we welcomed Dillon Fritz, PhD, as Vice President for Economic Development and Commercialization, leading efforts to expand support for startups and accelerate technology translation.
Key milestones in 2025 include:
- Maintained a thriving ecosystem of 51 associate companies employing 1,174 people across the Institute’s growing campus.
- Added four associate companies to campus, including Vivolution, Tango Tango, EKTA ,and Veil Genomics, a HudsonAlpha spinout company.
- Supported 13 companies through the Navigate program (6 in Huntsville and 7 in the Wiregrass region).
- Hosted nearly 50 high school students, college students, and professionals from as far as California and across the southeast at our annual 1-day HATCH hackathon.
- Grew the AgTech Accelerator with 4 companies in the spring cohort and 10 in the fall cohort.
In Dothan, construction is well underway on the Wiregrass Innovation Center, which will soon be home to new agtech businesses and educational initiatives. HudsonAlpha will serve as the anchor tenant.
Partnerships with Builders + Backers and the H.A.R.V.E.S.T. global agtech network are bringing new momentum to entrepreneurship and workforce development in southern Alabama.
“HudsonAlpha sits at the center of a rapidly evolving biotechnology landscape. As we look to the future, our goal is to turn bold ideas into real‑world impact, helping companies launch, scale, and create jobs that sustain Alabama’s leadership in life sciences.”
Looking Ahead
Through a year marked by both challenge and achievement, HudsonAlpha has remained steadfast in its mission. Our scientists, educators, and entrepreneurs continue to demonstrate that when curiosity meets collaboration, progress endures, no matter the challenges.
This determination was rewarded earlier this month with the announcement that Eli Lilly, a pharmaceutical giant with offices in 18 countries, announced plans for a $6 billion investment in a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Huntsville. More than 20 years ago, HudsonAlpha’s founders, Lonnie McMillian and Jim Hudson, set the vision for this achievement.
As we look ahead to 2026, we do so with gratitude for our community and partners, and with optimism for what lies ahead as we continue using genomics to improve life.
