The first BGI International Summer Workshop and the Youth Symposium of the 18th International Conference on Genomics (ICG-18), hosted by BGI College, recently took place in Shenzhen. 

Themed 'AI for Life Sciences Industry', this event brought together 17 international students, postdoctoral researchers, and young professors from nine countries. They came to learn about BGI Group’s latest advancements in genomics research and the bioindustry, and to share their insights on interdisciplinary topics with over 200 students from various universities and colleges in China.

Wang Jian, Co-founder and Chairman of the Board of Directors of BGI Group, gives a lecture to the participants.

Wang Jian, Co-founder and Chairman of the Board of Directors of BGI Group, along with Yin Ye, Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director of BGI Group, delivered lectures to participants about the organization’s overarching goals, core technologies, culture, history, and future directions. Representatives from multiple subsidiaries within the BGI Group also shared their insights with the participants.

The event encompassed tours of major facilities and laboratories, including BGI Global Headquarters, the China National GeneBank, and the innovative agricultural base of BGI Bioverse. These visits provided insights into BGI’s progress in genomics, single-cell omics, and spatial-temporal omics research. The participants also gained hands-on experience in an experiment simulation session in BGI’s advanced genomics laboratories. 

The participants visit the innovative agricultural base of BGI Bioverse.

The hands-on experiment simulation session in a BGI laboratory.

Another highlight of the event was the presentation on BGI's scientific research achievements. Four leading scientists from BGI-Research showcased their major accomplishments in machine deep learning, bioinformatics algorithms, and technological advancements in DNA sequencing and storage. They also engaged in in-depth discussions with participants regarding the applications and future development trends of artificial intelligence in the life sciences sector.

With AI-driven scientific research at the forefront of global advancements, the Youth Symposium, with the theme of "AI for Life Sciences Industry," invited overseas guest scholars to participate. This inclusion brought an international perspective and showcased achievements in international forefront academic research.

 Guillem Ylla presents his study on the symposium.

Marko Misic (left) discusses with event participant.

Guillem Ylla, an assistant professor at Jagiellonian University in Poland, shared his latest study of using bioinformatics to unveil the mysteries of animal evolution. Marko Misic, an assistant professor at the University of Belgrade in Serbia, presented a novel approach to extract the backbone from bipartite network data.

The symposium provided young students and scholars from global life sciences, artificial intelligence, and related interdisciplinary fields with an opportunity for academic exchange and broadening their horizons.

Ivan Tanasijevic, a postdoctoral researcher at The Institute for Artificial Intelligence Research and Development of Serbia, found the variety of AI applications across fields to be a particularly interesting topic. He held a strong affinity for the implementation of deep learning in STOmics (spatio-temporal omics technology), as he believed it exemplified a robust use of cutting-edge technologies.

Yakie Wong, an undergraduate student from the Chinese University of Hong Kong, discussed the topic of genome amplification in yeast. He stated, "I'm a researcher in the field of natural amino acids and their interactions with proteins. I'm greatly intrigued by this topic, and through open discussions and exchanges, I can gain insights into the academic communities of different countries and their diverse research cultures."

“Because in Indonesia, in my hospital, [genomics] is still a very new technology,” said Ardy Wildan, a medical staff member at the University of Indonesia. “I think this summer workshop is a big opportunity for me to learn about genomics and biotechnology, especially to see what others are doing.”

Group photo of all participants of the ICG-18 Youth Symposium.

As an affiliate of the ICG, the ICG Youth Symposium is dedicated to bringing together young students and scholars from around the world, fostering academic discussions, sharing innovative technologies, and presenting the latest advancements in the field of biology and genomics.