March 8, 2025, marks the 115th International Women’s Day, and on this special day we celebrate the remarkable journeys of two exceptional women at BGI, Tenzin Wangmo and Liu Shanshan, who have ventured into extreme environments to advance human knowledge.
At the peaks of the highest mountains and the depths of the ocean, they are pushing the boundaries of human potential through science and exploration. From Mount Everest to the Mariana Trench, they are fearlessly uncovering the mysteries of life, setting new frontiers in human understanding. These extraordinary women are not only challenging themselves physically and mentally but also making significant contributions to scientific research.
Conquering the Heights: Tenzin Wangmo’s Everest Challenge
At 2 a.m. on May 21, 2024, the BGI Scientific Mountaineering Team led by BGI Group Co-Founder and Chairman Wang Jian, launched their final push towards the summit of Mount Everest. After overcoming numerous challenges, all team members successfully reached the summit, sending back the world’s first ultrasound images and EEG data from the top of the world. As part of the "BGI Qomolangma Project," launched in 2022, this summit contributed to the publication of the project's first research paper in Cell Reports.
Tenzin Wangmo was a member of the mountaineering team and the first to reach the summit: “When I reached the summit, the day was just getting bright. Normally, I might have cried with excitement or laughed with joy like others, but in fact, at that moment, my only thought was to quickly complete my scientific tasks. At 8,000 meters, it's an extreme environment. I stayed up there for two hours, over an hour of which was spent without supplemental oxygen. The main purpose was to test my heart rate and cardiopulmonary condition under extreme oxygen deprivation, as well as to observe whether my existing tinnitus symptoms were more pronounced."
Tenzin Wangmo operates a wireless handheld ultrasound device for remote consultations at an altitude of over 8,300 meters.
By meticulously gathering ultrasound imaging data from both herself and her mountain guide, the data will provide invaluable insights into human adaptation at high altitudes and contribute to future medical and scientific studies on extreme environments.
Her expedition was not without risk. Extreme cold and prolonged exposure at the summit posed a serious threat of frostbite and exhaustion. Moreover, performing complex scientific procedures under such conditions required not only technical expertise but also immense physical and mental resilience. Wangmo’s groundbreaking work showcases not only the incredible strength of women but also the potential for scientific discoveries in the most challenging environments on earth.
Exploring the Depths: Liu Shanshan’s Journey to the Trench
While Wangmo sought the highest peaks, Liu Shanshan, Senior Researcher at BGI-Research, ventured into the deepest part of the ocean. Since childhood, she had been fascinated by the sea, and in 2018, she finally embarked on her deep-sea research journey when BGI partnered with the Institute of Deep-sea Science and Engineering, at the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
“You don’t truly understand the ocean until you experience it firsthand,” explains Liu. Her early expeditions took her 1,300 to 1,400 meters below the surface, where she discovered that the deep sea was far from a lifeless void. Instead, it was brimming with vibrant ecosystems, where organisms thrived using hydrogen sulfide and methane as energy sources.
Her most ambitious mission came in December 2021. Together with BGI Group Co-Founder and Chairman Wang Jian as well as Director of BGI-Research Xu Xun, she boarded the Exploration 1 (Tan Suo Yi Hao) vessel for the Pacific Ocean’s Mariana Trench, and descended to Challenger Deep - over 10,900 meters below the surface. This expedition and related research have resulted in one commentary and three research articles published as a cover story in the leading international journal Cell, and subsequently reported by Science.
Wang Jian, BGI Group Co-Founder and Chairman (right), Liu Shanshan, Senior Researcher at BGI-Research (middle), Xu Xun, Director of BGI-Research (left)
The experience was nothing short of transformational. “When you see something you’ve never seen before, when you go beyond what you ever thought possible, the world opens up in a way you never imagined,” Liu reflected.
During their six-hour operation on the ocean floor, Liu and her team collected marine life specimens, sediment, and water samples. These materials are critical for understanding biodiversity in the most extreme environments and may provide new insights into the origins of life or help identify a new treatment for a disease.
Liu is particularly excited about the potential for discovering new species through such deep-sea expeditions. “Perhaps one day, a newly discovered species will be named after BGI,” she said with a hopeful smile.
Liu firmly believes that deep-sea exploration is an untapped frontier for scientific discovery. Although oceans cover 70% of the Earth’s surface, more than 80% of the seafloor remains unexplored. “Compared to our understanding of space, we know so little about our own oceans,” she noted. “BGI’s expertise in genomics revolutionized medical testing. I believe our work in deep-sea research could lead to equally groundbreaking discoveries in the future.”
Fearless in the Pursuit of Science
From the highest summits to the deepest oceans, women at BGI are breaking barriers and reshaping the future of scientific exploration. Their courage, determination, and relentless pursuit of knowledge exemplify not only the strength of women but also BGI’s unwavering commitment to scientific excellence. Their journeys inspire a new generation of women to take on challenges, push boundaries, and redefine what is possible.
On this special day, we celebrate all fearless women, at BGI and around the world, who continue to inspire and lead in pursuing knowledge. Their stories remind us that there are no limits to human potential—only new frontiers waiting to be explored.