JANUARY
Perennial rice has been introduced in Burundi, Africa, for trial planting and has now completed demonstration planting in more than 130 areas across 10 countries worldwide.
FEBRUARY
BGI Nutri was honored with the 2023 China Industry, Academy, and Research Collaboration Innovation Award.
MARCH
The Harbin City Digestive System Tumor and Metabolic Syndrome Free Testing Project was officially launched. As one of the ten major livelihood projects in Harbin City, the initiative, in collaboration with BGI, will provide free testing for digestive system tumors and metabolic syndrome to the residents.
Then Thailand's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Commerce, Phumtham Wechayachai, along with his delegation, visited BGI Group. BGI has been associated with Thailand for more than 20 years, starting with its participation in the Indian Ocean tsunami relief efforts and evolving into in-depth collaborations with Thai partners to jointly advance life science research in Thailand and the broader Southeast Asian region.
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Elsevier has recognized the exemplary contributions of three researchers from BGI Group in its 2023 Highly Cited Chinese Researchers list. The Biology category of the list includes Wang Jian, Co-founder and Chairman of the Board of Directors of BGI Group; Yang Huanming, Co-founder and Member of the Board of Directors of BGI Group and Director-General of BGI; and Xu Xun, Executive Director of BGI Group, Director of BGI-Research.
APRIL
BGI-Research, together with scientific teams from China, Spain and the U.S.A., have produced a vast single-cell atlas of human skeletal muscle, covering people aged from 15 to 99 and detailing how lower limb skeletal muscle ages in a cell-type specific manner. This breakthrough study, “Multimodal cell atlas of the ageing human skeletal muscle” was published online in the leading scientific journal, Nature.
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BGI Genomics has officially opened Uruguay's first clinical molecular testing laboratory meeting international standards. The laboratory will provide testing services in reproductive health and cancer prevention and control, supporting the development of public health systems in Latin American countries.
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The Bird 10,000 Genomes (B10K) Project, a collaborative international initiative by the BGI-Research and international research institutions, has published two new findings in Nature and Nature Communications.
Researchers from Tsinghua University, BGI-Research, Kunming Medical University, the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and other institutes have made a significant breakthrough in controlling mosquito-borne diseases. They discovered that symbiotic bacterial environmental interventions could block the transmission of mosquito-borne viruses and prevent epidemic outbreaks. The related research findings were published in Science.
MAY
On May 21, 2024, at 10:28 Beijing Time, BGI Group Chairman and Co-Founder, Wang Jian, and a scientific team from BGI reached the summit of Mount Everest (Qomolangma) at 8848.86 meters and, using handheld ultrasound equipment, captured the world’s first ultrasound image from the top of the world. The team also captured electroencephalogram (EEG) data at the peak. This is the second time that Wang Jian has reached the top of Mount Everest, and at age 70 he is the oldest person in China to have achieved this feat.
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The BGI-Heilongjiang Omics Health Axis Intelligent Laboratory (BGI-HL OHA Intelligent Laboratory) was inaugurated in Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, China, marking a significant advance in the province's efforts to address public health challenges. Utilizing the '13311i GigaLab' technological framework, this facility supports vital life and health science research, enhancing the region's capacity to produce innovative health solutions.
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JUNE
BGI has achieved the top position among biological sciences corporate institutions in the Asia-Pacific region and ranks eighth globally in the 2024 Nature Index annual rankings. This marks the ninth consecutive year that BGI has held the leading position in the Asia-Pacific biological sciences industry.
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Mr. Cai Lei, Chairman of the AskHelpU ALS Patient Platform, and Dr. Yin Ye, CEO and Executive Director of BGI Group, announced their collaboration to create a multi-omics research joint laboratory to accelerate the research of ALS (Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis).
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JULY
BGI Group's Co-founder and Chairman, Wang Jian, led a team of researchers on a deep-sea exploration mission in late July. Partnering with institutions including the Institute of Deep-Sea Science and Engineering at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, and Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, the team embarked on the "Tansuoerhao" research vessel to explore the cold seep areas of the China’s southern sea area. The mission aimed to conduct deep-sea observations for more knowledge of the unknown deep-sea world.
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AUGUST
BGI Group collaborated with Uppsala University in Sweden and other partners to publish the world's largest multi-omics study on colorectal cancer. This study deepens the scientific understanding of colorectal cancer pathogenesis by analyzing the whole genomes and transcriptomes of 1,063 primary colorectal cancers in the most extensive study of its kind, offering groundbreaking insights that could lead to more personalized and effective treatments for the disease.
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To mark the 50th anniversary of the scientific journal Cell, BGI-Research was invited to contribute a scientific review on the technical development and challenges of spatiotemporal omics and its potential to enhance our understanding of the human genome. This review was published on August 22 as a special issue in Cell.
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SEPTEMBER
In a landmark study published in Nature, an international team of researchers led by BGI-Research has reported the most comprehensive global marine microbiome database to date, which unveiled the immense potential of marine microorganisms for marine science research, and biotechnological and biomedical applications.
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BGI-Research, in collaboration with nearly 100 researchers from the Institute of Neuroscience of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and other institutions, has unveiled comprehensive single-cell spatial transcriptomic atlases of the cerebellar cortex across multiple species in a groundbreaking study published in Science. This achievement offers new insights into the complexity and evolutionary adaptations of this critical brain region.
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OCTOBER
BGI Group CEO and Executive Director Yin Ye visited Ethiopia, Rwanda, Uganda, and Kenya, announcing plans to deepen exchanges and cooperation with these African countries in various fields, including perennial rice, public health, and talent development.
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NOVEMBER
The 19th Annual Meeting of the International Conference on Genomics (ICG-19) officially commenced at BGI Group’s Global Headquarters in Shenzhen. This prestigious event brings together over 100 leading scientists, researchers, and industry leaders in the field of genomics to discuss the latest advancements in global life sciences, while fostering innovation, academic freedom, and international collaboration.
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Researchers from BGI-Research and the Chinese Academy of Sciences produced the world’s first spatiotemporal atlas of multi-organ aging in male mouse. This atlas provides a deeper understanding of how aging affects gene expression and cell interactions within the tissue microenvironment, and highlighting the potential for interventions aimed at promoting healthy aging. This study was published in Cell.
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An international collaboration between BGI-Research, Wuhan University’s School of Electronic Information, and other research institutions has introduced Spateo, a groundbreaking algorithm toolkit that enables precise 3D reconstruction of whole mammalian organs and mouse embryos, as well as systematic modeling of dynamic developmental processes. This marks a significant advancement in spatial transcriptomics and the study of life from a spatiotemporal perspective.
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Clarivate Analytics announced its Highly Cited Researchers list for 2024, recognizing three distinguished researchers from BGI Group: Huanming Yang, Co-founder and Member of the Board of Directors of BGI Group and Director-General of BGI; Xun Xu, Executive Director of BGI Group and Director of BGI-Research; and Karsten Kristiansen, Professor at BGI-Research.
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DECEMBER
The Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (China CDC), in collaboration with BGI-Research and other partners, successfully carried out a project in Sierra Leone aimed at enhancing malaria genomic surveillance. The team utilized cutting-edge platforms, including the CycloneSEQ sequencer, DNBSEQ-G50 (MGISEQ-200) sequencer, and a malaria all-in-one bioinformatics workstation, to perform long-read and short-read sequencing of Plasmodium DNA. Additionally, they provided training for local technicians. This initiative significantly advanced malaria molecular monitoring capabilities in Africa.
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In 2025, BGI Group remains steadfast in its mission to advance genomics for the benefit of humanity. With innovation, collaboration, and cutting-edge technology, we are committed to driving breakthroughs in science, improving global health, and protecting biodiversity. Together, we will continue to push boundaries and create a future where science serves all.
