China has a reputation for being a fast follower – a casual copycat who can duplicate nearly any design – but the country and its companies are becoming increasingly innovative. Life Science Translations are becoming extremely critical as R&D funds are pouring in, spurning advancement in several areas. We at Simply CSOFT want to take the time to highlight some of the Chinese businesses that are shifting the paradigm – and possibly the center of creativity – for the middle kingdom.
Beijing Genomics Institute – Bringing DNA Sequencing to the Mass Market
Originally founded in Beijing in 1999, BGI got its start sequencing 1% of the human genetic code for the International Human Genome Project and became the first Chinese company to participate in a global research endeavor. In 2002, they sequenced the rice genome, in 2003 the SARS virus (and also created a detection kit that greatly helped reduce the impact of the epidemic), and in 2007, they moved their headquarters to Shenzhen where they have since become the world’s largest genetic research center.
BGI has processed the genomes of 57,000 people, several strains of rice, the cucumber, the chickpea, the giant panda, the Arabian camel, the yak, the chicken, and 40 types of silkworm. It’s currently working on the Million Human Genomes, the Million Plant and Animal Genomes, and the Million Micro-ecosystems Genomes projects with the ultimate goal of archiving the world’s genetic information, like a biological Google.
In an article published in the New Yorker earlier this year, Jian Wang, the company’s president, said, “For five hundred years, you [the West] have been leading the way with innovation. We are no longer interested in following.”
Genetics is still an incredibly young field but its promise for medicine and all of biology cannot be overstated. From prolonged lifespans to bioluminescent trees, it has the power to transform life as we know it and the fact that a Chinese company is at the forefront makes it all the more transformative.
Join us next week for a look at a Chinese firm that’s changing social networking!
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