Strategic objectives

Beijing Genomics Institute (BGI), widely recognized as one of China’s premier research facilities, is a public research institute committed to excellence in genome sciences, conducting large-scale genomics research with the focus on bioinformatics, genome dynamics, genotyping and proteomics. BGI is currently equipped with 112 capillary sequencers, which can generate 50Mb raw sequence data per day with the lowest cost in the world. There are 7 supercomputers in BGI, which offer both high-efficiency computing power and a strong data storage capacity (about 80 Terabytes). With over 100 bioinformatics specialists and the expertise in data processing, data analysis, and data warehousing, BGI’s bioinformatics group is the largest and most productive in China.

Sequence data lay the foundation for both genomics and proteomics research. The genome sequence includes all useful information about how an organism organizes its life. “From the genome to biology and medicine” is a key step for us to improve human health.

Digitized DNA information is just a starting point. The genes, their products and the relations between the different macromolecules constitute a global picture for any given species. Large-scale experiments that address questions related to whole systems are now performed routinely with a speed that could only be dreamt of a decade ago. With digitalization, we are now at the beginning of a revolutionary era in biology and medicine where novel comprehensive approaches can be expected to shed new light on common complex multi-factorial diseases such as neurodegenerative diseases, metabolic disorders and cancer.

Tools and databases are two key components of the bio-grid construction. One of the most important sub-disciplines within bioinformatics filed is the development and implementation of tools and databases that enable efficient access to, and use and management of, various types of information. It will greatly help the biologist understand the data, interpret the data and finally get the knowledge from the data. Of course, we should also share the knowledge from the grid setting-up.

The final goal of this bio-grid is to help us to decipher “the logic of life” and to develop effective predictive, preventive and personalized health care programs.

Funding agencies

As an important application of CNGrid we can apply funding from National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC), Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), etc.

Existing funded programmes

We participated the project ‘High Performance Computer & Core Software —Bioinformatics Apply Grid (BAG)’ of China’ National High-Tech Research & Development Program. We have already built up the first bio-grid service at China and succeeded in integrating bioinformatics’ data and software.

Our BAG system was funded as an important application in the project ‘China Next Generation Internet (CNGI)’. According to our plan we’ll deploy our services onto CNGI with IPv6 protocol.

‘Demonstration & Application of Bioinformatics’ will be supported by NSFC in the next five years. More software and databases will be conducted.

‘Grid Computing Environment of Bioinformatics’ project will be funded by the Ministry of Science and Technology. We will supply computing tools, database services, computing resource and one annotation platform which is based on grid technology.

Institutes, Universities, Industries active in that sector

Contact points by thematic area:

• Name: Jun Wang - This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
• Address:
  

Beijing Genomics Institute.
Beijing Airport Industrial
Zone B6 Beijing
101300 China

• Name: Richard Durbin - This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
• Address:
  

Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute
Wellcome Trust Genome
Campus Hinxton
CB10 1SA UK

• Name: Soren Brunak - This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
• Address:
  

Center for Biological Sequence Analysis
Biocentrum-DTU
The Technical University of Denmark,
bld. 208 DK-2800 Lyngby Denmark

• Name: Matthias Mann - This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
• Address:
  

Dept. Proteomics and Signal Transduction Max-Planck
Institute for Biochemistry
Am Klopferspitz 18 D-82152 Martinsried (near Munich)
Germany