Wang Jingli

wangjingli0715@163.com

OVER 60 scientists, innovators and entrepreneurs from home and abroad attended the 14th Annual Meeting of International Conference on Genomics (ICG-14) held at China National GeneBank in Shenzhen from Thursday to Sunday.

Themed “omics for all,” the meeting featured cutting-edge “omics” technologies and intelligent applications in the life science field.

Yang Huanming, founder of the ICG’s organizer BGI, said at the opening ceremony that since its inauguration in 2006, ICG has always followed the theme that genetic technologies benefit all of humanity.

Innovations such as big data and biological intelligence will boost idea-sharing, applications and breakthroughs in life science, according to Yang.

Three products from MGI were unveiled after the opening ceremony, including the portable “express” sequencing system DNBSEQ E series, the modular “digital biolab” DNBelab D series, and a handheld single-cell laboratory that can fit in a pocket.

MGI’s new tools can be customized or upgraded according to the user’s needs, providing an ideal overall solution for the industry.

“MGI has a vision for enabling effective and affordable healthcare solutions for all,” said Mu Feng, chief executive officer of MGI. “We are working to transform sequencing technology and enable our industry’s next big breakthroughs. From the most powerful sequencer to portable, handheld instruments, MGI has continuously innovated its products and technologies, and we now have a much more comprehensive and diversified portfolio.”

On Saturday, Million Microbiome of Human Project, said to be the biggest international program for microbiome research at the moment, was officially launched as a side event of ICG-14.

Through the project, scientists from China, Sweden, Denmark, France and Latvia will conduct research on metagenome and genetic sequencing analyses of 1 million microbiome samples of organs including the mouth, skin and intestinal tract, according to staff with the project.