China's genomics company BGI launched a partnership on Friday with a leading medical research center in Australia, marking stronger relationship between the two nations in the genomics sector.
A new laboratory was opened Friday at the Queensland Institute of Medical Research (QIMR), which will see BGI utilize its world-leading genomics sequencers for the first time in the southern hemisphere in a purpose-built center.
This is a big first step to a mutually beneficial, and long-term commitment to genomics in Australia, BGI's Executive Vice-President Duncan Yu told Xinhua after the opening ceremony.
"This is a big step and success, and it gives us more confidence," Yu said.
Professor Frank Gannon, CEO of QIMR told Xinhua he is "very excited" about the partnership, and that BGI is addressing a "major need" in the fields of genomics and sequencing.
"We are very good at the analysis, so we understand what they are doing, and we can potentially contribute to it," Gannon said.
The professor said that from a purely scientific perspective, there was a pertinent reason why this partnership "makes sense."
"It is very important for Australia to attract major companies such as BGI. I think our role in giving them a good location and supportive environment in Queensland, probably will mean that it is going to be a successful transfer into the Australian economy," Gannon said.
"So both on the scientific side, and on the economic development side, it is a very exciting partnership."
Yu outlined his bright goals for the partnership in Australia, and said that this is a vital part of his company's mission to bring about the transformation of the world for the better.
"This is really for everyone in the world...We really want to make sure that everyone in the world can get the benefits from our technology," Yu said.
"Australia is an important partner of China, so we are just building on something already solid. We are setting up high-tech solutions, we are talking about how to improve healthcare in both our countries."
One of the key parts of the partnership will involve the use of the BGISEQ-500 sequencer, an industry-leading device which allows for even the smallest sample of living matter to be analyzed and resulting in a complete genetic map, allowing scientists to discover hidden characteristics of the DNA.
Dr. Yang Bicheng, director of BGI Australia who will head up the project, said that this advanced device will allow for greater accuracy, and effectiveness, all while operating at a far lower financial cost.
"We know from our experience in applying sequencing technologies that these features are of great value to the research and medical communities when assessing sequencing capability," Yang said.
In terms of the future, Gannon said the impact that BGI will have across a variety of sectors in Australia, including agriculture and the environment, can't be underestimated, especially in terms of medical research.
"The understanding of how to get the best out of our systems will be amplified," Gannon said.
"With the technology as the entry point, with the people coming around the technology and building up joint projects, and with exchanges which will flow naturally from that, it is a really positive story."
