Sino-European research collaboration in life sciences eyes great prospects: BGI president

2012/02/13

COPENHAGEN, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- There are great prospects for Sino-European research collaboration in the life sciences, as China now stands at almost the same starting line as developed countries, and faces the same opportunities and challenges in this scientific field, said Yang Huanming, President of BGI, China's leading genomics research institute, on Friday.

"Life sciences is a new field and different from information technology, for which the whole industry process and pattern has been set up," Yang told Xinhua in an exclusive interview, on the occasion of the formal opening of the BGI's European Genome Research Center in Copenhagen. 

"The old authority can only play a limited role although tradition is important in life science. China stands at almost the same starting line together with United States and European countries and faces the same opportunities and challenges, as well as the need for innovation," said Yang, who is also an Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

"Therefore we have built up close cooperation with researchers and science institutions in developed countries. There is great potential for future cooperation between China and Europe," he added. 

China's BGI genome research institute formally opened its first European genome sequencing center at Copenhagen Bio Science Park (COBIS) Friday, a high-tech cluster, in collaboration with leading Danish research bodies. 

Yang and a group of Chinese scientists later attended the opening ceremony for the center, and addressed the 120 high-profile guests there, including representatives from Danish government, research institutions and industry. 

Denmark and the Danish approach to life science research are well-known to Yang, who studied genetics as a PhD candidate at Copenhagen University in the mid-1980s, and received his doctorate there in 1988. 

His studies and the network of personal and professional relations he built up during this time, have continued to impact him profoundly, and helped him develop links between Chinese and Danish scientists. In fact, it was the strong cultural and scientific ties between BGI and Denmark which led to BGI establishing its first genome research center in Europe, in the Danish capital. 

"China and Denmark match each other well in many ways, and especially in genomics research," Yang said. 

He explained that Denmark has a medical records system which provides for detailed clinical diagnosis, and that the country's small population of 5.5 million people makes it "easy to track hereditary relationships." 

"Besides, patients here are willing to cooperate. It is more difficult to trace hereditary relationships in China even though the genetic resources in China are more abundant," Yang said. 

Moreover, Denmark's long tradition of scientific research means it has developed a leading position in many fields, despite being a small country. These considerations have also guided BGI's decisions to establish its European genome research center here, he added. 

As China's scientific prowess grows, and as its researchers take on projects around the globe, Yang believes Chinese scientific development is gaining prominence on the world stage. 

"Many Chinese scientists used to work in laboratories owned by western countries. Now we Chinese have built our own laboratories and collaborate with western researchers and institutes," Yang said. 

"This is one of the most important ways for the Chinese people opening up to the world in the future," he stressed. 

He believes BGI's own experience and position as one of the world's largest genome sequencing outfits, provides a model for future scientific engagement. 

"It is BGI's belief that we should open up in scientific and research areas, learn from western researchers and science institutions, and combine this with BGI's own merits. It is a new model and we will use the opportunity to run this research center well," Yang said, referring to the new European genome center. 

BGI's European Genome Research Center will carry out two integrated projects to deepen and quicken the development of genomics research, and its business applications, in areas such as health care, agriculture, and bio-energy. 

This includes identifying previously unknown pathogens for the purpose of developing and patenting commercial vaccines, including a possible vaccine against cancer. 

It will also create a catalog of the DNA variations of Danes, by mapping genomes of 1 percent of the Danish population, with the aim of solving and preventing hereditary medical problems. 

The center is a joint venture between BGI and Danish research institutes including the Danish National Advanced Technology Foundation, Copenhagen University, Aarhus University, University of Southern Denmark, and Denmark's Technical University. The total budget for the BGI Europe platform is 170 million Danish kroner (around 30.2 million U.S. dollars). 

The center covers some 1,200 square meters at the COBIS site, and now is equipped with 10 Illumina HiSeq 2000 sequencers. 

"Our primary mission for this research center is to provide BGI's world-class expertise and infrastructure for European researchers in genomics, proteomics, bioinformatics and other related areas," said Ning Li, Director of BGI Europe, which is BGI's European affiliate. 

"The opening of the Genome Research Center will add immense value to scientific advancement and application for both BGI Europe and Denmark. I believe this center will also strive to build a better platform, create more opportunities and cultivate better cooperation between China and Europe," he added. 

Founded in Beijing, in 1999, BGI has rapidly established itself as the world's sequencing powerhouse, and has collaborated with international partners on several genome projects. 

It helped sequence one percent of the human genome for the International Human Genome Project, completed sequencing the rice and silkworm genomes, and conducted research into combating SARS and E. coli, among others. It has contributed to over 170 papers published in leading scientific journals including Science and Nature.

(Source: Xinhua)