Huntsville, Ala. — HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology held a groundbreaking ceremony today for 800 Hudson Way, the latest addition to the 152-acre campus. The 100,000 square foot building will foster job growth of several new and expanding life sciences companies, and also will house components of HudsonAlpha’s research, Educational Outreach, genomic medicine and informatics programs.
The building is made possible by the State of Alabama. HudsonAlpha is a key player in job creation and research and discovery in Alabama, and 800 Hudson Way will continue to strengthen Alabama’s position in the life sciences. 
The building will be the home of the Paul Propst Center for Precision Medicine. Huntsville philanthropist and businessman William “Bill” Self Propst, Sr. made a generous donation to HudsonAlpha’s work in the area of precision medicine. The Center is named in honor and memory of his father Paul, who was a minister in North Alabama.
“HudsonAlpha is leading the way in precision medicine and I am honored to have the opportunity to support such cutting-edge research that is happening right here in Huntsville,” said Propst.
“It is wonderful to be breaking ground on HudsonAlpha’s next step in mine and Lonnie’s dream,” said Jim Hudson, co-founder of HudsonAlpha. “Lonnie McMillian and I want to thank the State of Alabama, Bill Propst and the Huntsville community for recognizing the power of genomics, the need for precision medicine in the state, and the importance of continuing to build a life sciences hub in North Alabama.”
The 100,000 square foot, two-story building will be similar to the 601 Genome Way location in both its design and the mix of research laboratories and life sciences companies. Longtime HudsonAlpha associate company Conversant Bio will expand and move into the new building.
“When we joined the HudsonAlpha campus, we knew Conversant Bio would be at the heart of life sciences research,” said Marshall Schreeder, co-founder and CEO of Conversant Bio. “Being here has allowed the company to continue to grow and stay on the cutting-edge of research and connected to the needs of scientists around the world on a daily basis.”
Conversant Bio supplies the highest-quality human tissue and viable cell samples to researchers working to develop new therapeutics and diagnostic tools. The company joined the HudsonAlpha biotech campus in 2006, growing its employee base ten-fold in that time.
“When we open our doors at 800 Hudson Way, the people of Alabama will have a healthier future, a vibrant workforce, and a booming life science business environment, and a reputation as a place that is using the power of genomics to solve some of the world’s most pressing medical and agricultural issues,” said Richard Myers, PhD, HudsonAlpha president and science director.
To learn more about 800 Hudson Way, visit hudsonalpha.org/800.
About HudsonAlpha: HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology is a nonprofit institute dedicated to innovating in the field of genomic technology and sciences across a spectrum of biological challenges. Opened in 2008, its mission is four-fold: sparking scientific discoveries that can impact human health and well-being; bringing genomic medicine into clinical care; fostering life sciences entrepreneurship and business growth; and encouraging the creation of a genomics-literate workforce and society. The HudsonAlpha biotechnology campus consists of 152 acres nestled within Cummings Research Park, the nation’s second largest research park. Designed to be a hothouse of biotech economic development, HudsonAlpha’s state-of-the-art facilities co-locate nonprofit scientific researchers with entrepreneurs and educators. The relationships formed on the HudsonAlpha campus encourage collaborations that produce advances in medicine and agriculture. Under the leadership of Dr. Richard M. Myers, a key collaborator on the Human Genome Project, HudsonAlpha has become a national and international leader in genetics and genomics research and biotech education, and includes more than 30 diverse biotech companies on campus. To learn more about HudsonAlpha, visit: http://hudsonalpha.org/.
