Student scientists T he HudsonAlpha Wiregrass campus in Dothan, Alabama, established in 2022 through a public-private collaboration between HudsonAlpha and the City of Dothan, had a busy and successful first two years. The collaborative team established a research lab, brought HELP SELECT THE FIRST PEANUT VARIETY IN DROUGHT FIELD TRIALS
genetics and biotechnology classes to middle and high school students, engaged the public about genomic science, and provided business mentoring to six local Wiregrass businesses. One extremely successful program is the WIRE- GRASS Peanut Project, a collaboration between Hud- sonAlpha’s research and educational outreach teams
Josh Clevenger, PhD, overseeing DNA extraction
with the Wiregrass community. The program allows high school students to receive hands-on learning about genet- ics and apply that knowledge to help breed and select a peanut plant tailored for Dothan and the Wiregrass region. Dothan is the self-proclaimed peanut capital of the world, so it only makes sense that a project focused on peanuts would help students learn about genetics and biotechnolo- gy. Students actively participate in a first-of-its-kind whole genome sequencing-based genomics-assisted breeding program led by HudsonAlpha Faculty Investigator Josh Clevenger, PhD . Throughout the semester, students learn to grow peanut plants from seedlings, phenotype plants, extract DNA samples from the plants, analyze genomic information, and select plants for future breeding and field trials. This novel program allows students to learn cutting-edge techniques while working on a project with immediate, real-world implications. HudsonAlpha Vice President for Educational Outreach Kelly East and her team facilitate the classroom learning portions of the project, which was first piloted in Spring 2023 by students at Dothan High School and Carver 9th Grade Academy from Dothan City Schools as well as
Wiregrass student chipping seeds for DNA extraction
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