When Sir Hermann Bondi KCB FRS described science as 'an adventure,' he probably didn't realize that this statement was not just metaphorical, but also a literal one.

The world is full of life and organisms and is a massive scientific laboratory where the mysteries of life can be explored from the top of Mount Everest (Qomolangma) to the depths of the Mariana Trench, a combined distance of more than 18,000 meters.

This has become BGI Group’s laboratory under the guidance of Wang Jian, Chairman and Co-Founder. Earlier this week he led a scientific research team to the top of the world – the second time Wang Jian has scaled Mount Everest and as the oldest person in China to have reached the summit.

On May 21, 2024, Wang Jian, Chairman and Co-Founder of BGI Group, spearheaded a scientific research expedition to the summit of Mount Everest with a scientific exploration team from BGI.

May 23, 2024, Wang Jian, BGI Group Chairman and Co-Founder (middle), together with some of the BGI scientific team members, returned to the base camp after reaching the summit of Mount Everest.

Mountaineering for science is a deeply ingrained culture in BGI. As of May 2024, teams have reached the summits of Mount Everest, Mount Cho Oyu, Mount Shishapangma, Mount Mustagh Ata, Mount Yuzhu, Mount Luodui, and Mount Siguniang (Skubla).

On his first ascent of Mount Everest in 2010, Wang Jian’s team identified the gene, EPAS1, that enables humans to adapt to living in high altitudes. The mutation of the gene prevents the excessive increase in haemoglobin concentration thereby reducing the risk of altitude sickness. The research was published as a cover story in Science.

In 2014, further research that was published in Nature and participated by scientists from institutions including BGI, University of California, Iowa State University, and University of Copenhagen, found that the haplotype structure of the EPAS1 gene is highly similar to that of the extinct Danisovans, indicating that ancient genetic exchange may have played a role in human adaptation to extreme environments.

BGI has also participated in genome research on plateau animals and plants such as highland barley, Tibetan antelope, and yak, making important contributions to revealing the species’ adaptation techniques for high altitude environments. These research results not only help us to understand the diversity and adaptability of life, but also provide a scientific basis for plateau ecological protection and biological resource allocation.

The latest ascent saw the team establish the ‘BGI Qomolangma Laboratory’ and test advanced genetic sequencing and handheld ultrasound equipment to analyze team members’ physiological indicators, brain cognition, motor functions and other data as well as obtaining genomic and single cell data.

In addition to climbing peaks, Wang Jian and BGI’s scientific explorers have taken a submersible to the deepest part of the ocean, the ‘Challenger Deep’ in the Mariana Trench, to explore life forms and ecological changes. Sedimentary samples, water samples and organisms were collected for research and new discoveries made.

In October 2021, a group of scientists, including Wang Jian, Chairman, and Co-founder of BGI Group (right), Xu Xun, Director of BGI-Research (left), and Liu Shanshan, Executive Dean of BGI-Research Qingdao, embarked on an ambitious expedition to explore one of the deepest parts of the ocean.

With previous visits to the South and North poles, Wang Jian has become the first Chinese scientist to complete expeditions to both the Arctic and Antarctic, summit the world's highest peak, Mount Everest, and dive to the deepest part of the world's oceans to conduct scientific research at depths of ten thousand meters. He is also the oldest person in the world to achieve this record.

All of these research endeavours are inseparable from BGI Group’s belief in good health, good study, and good work for its employees. Good health enables people to study and work better. For this, BGI encourages all kinds of sporting and exercise activities. In the new BGI headquarters in Shenzhen there are gyms, standing office areas, running track, aerial hoops and other exercise equipment. There are also various sports clubs including mountain climbing, cycling, basketball and dance. And on September 9th each year, BGI Group’s birthday, a health festival is held that includes long-distance hiking and other forms of exercise.

Within this context, scientific exploration of the top of the world and the deepest part of the oceans helps contribute to understanding human health and helping scientists make new discoveries that can present new solutions for some of the diseases afflicting humankind. This is BGI’s commitment as it strives to make new scientific discoveries benefiting life sciences globally.