DOTHAN (February 4, 2025) – Two new local high schools have been added to a one-of-a-kind local genomics research project through a partnership with HudsonAlpha Wiregrass.
The unique peanut breeding program run by high school students, called the WIREGRASS Peanut Project, started two years ago, and has now expanded to two more local schools, Enterprise High School and Wicksburg High School. These additions make a total of 10 schools located in five different counties participating in the project.
Carver 9th Grade Academy also added a second class for the Wiregrass Peanut Project. The Peanut Project is a novel collaboration between research and education to create an authentic and impactful training experience, led by HudsonAlpha Faculty Investigator Josh Clevenger, PhD and HudsonAlpha Vice President for Educational Outreach, Kelly East.
The project was first piloted two years ago by students at Dothan High School and Carver 9th Grade Academy from Dothan City Schools as well as Rehobeth High School and Cottonwood High School from Houston County Schools. Slocomb High School (Geneva County Schools), Headland High School (Henry County Schools), and Houston Academy joined the program in 2023. Ariton High School (Dale County Schools) joined last year.
Teachers from previous schools, as well as the two new schools, participated in a teacher training program with HudsonAlpha Educational Outreach at HudsonAlpha’s main campus in Huntsville over the summer where they learned the knowledge and skills needed to implement the project in their classrooms and provide feedback that informed the project’s growth over the next year.
The goal of the WIREGRASS Peanut Project is twofold. The acronym is “With Innovative Regional Experience Growing Real Advancements through Student Scientists.” It allows students to gain real-life research experience using the power of genomics to develop more drought- and disease-resistant peanut varieties, while developing valuable laboratory and critical thinking skills.
About HudsonAlpha Wiregrass
The City of Dothan and HudsonAlpha partnered in 2022 to expand HudsonAlpha’s footprint into Dothan, creating the HudsonAlpha Wiregrass, which focuses on agricultural research, economic development, and genomics education. HudsonAlpha Wiregrass began operations in October 2022 and will eventually be in downtown Dothan’s planned Wiregrass Innovation Center.
About HudsonAlpha
HudsonAlpha is a nonprofit institute dedicated to developing and applying scientific advances to health, agriculture, learning, and commercialization. Founded in Huntsville in 2008, HudsonAlpha’s vision is to leverage the synergy between discovery, education, medicine, and economic development in genomic sciences to improve the human condition around the globe. To learn more about HudsonAlpha, visit hudsonalpha.org.
Media Contact:
Madison Ward, 334-258-5790 (call or text)
mward@hudsonalpha.org
