Abby Burch is the Institute’s second employee in Dothan
Abby Burch, HudsonAlpha Wiregrass Project Manager
Huntsville, AL – Abby Burch is staying close to home as the new Lab Manager of the HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology Wiregrass. The Rehobeth native is responsible for leading the community-led molecular breeding program, including genotyping and selection using low-coverage whole genome sequencing and back cross selection.
“HudsonAlpha Wiregrass is thrilled to welcome Abby to the team,” Dean Mitchell, Director of the HudsonAlpha Wiregrass, said. “Abby is a local native, having attended Rehobeth High School and working in Dothan the past few years. She will be an integral part of our efforts and will bring an exceptional work ethic and community collaboration to our goals of helping spark innovation, enhance STEM education, and inspire economic growth in the region.”
As part of the collaboration between HudsonAlpha and the city of Dothan, HudsonAlpha Wiregrass aims to build a new science economy in the Wiregrass based on economic development, educational outreach and agricultural research. As lab manager, Burch will work closely with the Clevenger Lab at HudsonAlpha, which is pioneering a new model for workforce development in the form of a community-engaged and embedded sequence-based peanut breeding program.
Burch worked as a lab technician for Dothan Pediatric Healthcare Network for the last three years, after graduating from Troy University with a bachelor of science in Biology and Biomedical Sciences.
“I have always wanted to live and work in Dothan, but to work in the genetics field I always thought I would have to move to Birmingham, Huntsville or Atlanta for that to become a reality,” she said. “I am extremely fortunate and excited to have this opportunity and am excited for what I think HudsonAlpha will mean to the Wiregrass.”
About HudsonAlpha:
The HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology is a non-profit organization with the mission to use biotechnology and basic biological research to make important discoveries, improve human health, stimulate economic development, inspire young people to seek careers in science and teach members of the public the importance of science in their everyday lives. The Institute launched the HudsonAlpha Wiregrass initiative in 2022.
Media Contact:
Emily Adelman
eadelman@hudsonalpha.org
256-937-8210