BGI, the world’s largest genomics organization, opened on February 10th its first European Genome Research Center located in Copenhagen Bio Science Park (COBIS)

BGI, the world’s largest genomics organization, opened on February 10th its first European Genome Research Center located in Copenhagen Bio Science Park (COBIS). This research center is about 1,200 square meters and equipped with 10 Illumina HiSeq 2000 sequencers. The center aims to establish collaborations to better accelerate the innovation and development of genomics research and applications in health care, agriculture, bioenergy and other related areas in Europe.

BGI Chairman Huanming Yang has expressed his appreciation to the Danish government and the scientific partner in Denmark. He said, “Nothing would have been made possible by BGI without the full understanding, continuous encouragement and firm support from our supervisors, colleagues and friends in both the academic and industrial communities in Denmark since the very beginning until now. BGI’s leaders and staff have been successively educated and trained in Denmark from the past to present. It is the strong tie between BGI and Denmark both culturally and scientifically which led BGI’s choice to establish the first European Genome Research Center of BGI in Copenhagen, Denmark.”

According to Ning Li, Director of BGI Europe, the genome research center grants from the Danish National Advanced Technology Foundation (HTF). Two integrated projects will be initiated in this center, one is to identify previously unknown cancer pathogens that will lead to the development and patenting of commercial vaccines and the other is to establish a unique catalogue of the millions of variations in Dane’s DNA by finishing 1% Dane’s Genome Sequencing. The genome atlas will serve as the foundation for new studies that will cast light on the hereditary causes for a number of common diseases, as well as the treatment and prevention.