Beijing Institute of Genomics

Beijing Institute of Genomics (BIG) (simplified Chinese: 北京基因组研究所; traditional Chinese: 北京基因組研究所; pinyin: Běijīng Jīyīnzǔ Yánjiūsuǒ) is a genomics research center of Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS).

History

BIG was officially founded by Yang Huanming, Wang Jian, Yu Jun and others scientists on November 28, 2003,[1] when BGI (formerly the Beijing Genomics Institute, founded in 1999 to participate in the International Human Genome Project on behalf of China) became part of China Academy of Sciences. In 2006 BGI and BIG split, with Yang Huanming and Wang Jian moving BGI out of the CAS system and taking it to Shenzhen, and Yu Jun maintaining BIG in CAS.[2] Yu Jun formalising this split by selling his stake in BGI for a minor sum.[3]

Its predecessor was Human Genome Research Center of Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology (CAS) which was founded in August 1998.

Besides coming out of the International Human Genome Project, other achievements of BIG included the participation of the International HapMap Project; the completion of the Chinese Superhybrid Rice (Oryza sativa L. ssp. indica) Genome Project; the collaborations of the Silkworm Genome Project and the Chicken Genome Diversity Project.

In 2003, SARS virus became epidemic in China and BIG was the first to sequence SARS virus whole genome in China.

In 2007, BIG moved to ChaoYang District, Beijing.

In 2019 it was announced Yu Jun was involved in the informed consent meeting for He Jiankui's embryo-editing trial.[4]

Current

At present, BIG has a number of nearly two hundred faculty and staff members, including one Academia Sinica academician and one CAS academician and the number of graduated students is about two hundred.

Research Divisions
  • CAS Key Laboratory of Genome Sciences & Information (He Lin)
  • CAS Key Laboratory of Genomic and Precision Medicine (Zeng Changqing)
  • BIG Data Center (National Genomics Data Center)[5]
  • Core Genomic Facility (Wu Jiayan)

Research Program
  • International Rice Genome Sequencing Project
  • International Chicken Genome Sequencing Project
  • HapMap Project
  • The Saudi-Sino Date Palm Genome Project
  • Genome polymorphism of several populations in China
  • The Cancer Genome Project
  • The Stem Cell Genome Project

Lists of Directors

References
  1. Yu J (December 2018). "A Time for Celebration: 40th Anniversary of GSC and 15th Anniversary of BIG, CAS". Genomics, Proteomics & Bioinformatics. 16 (6): 387–388. doi:10.1016/j.gpb.2019.02.001. PMC 6411949. PMID 30743051.
  2. Yu J (2007). "Biotechnology Research in China". In Jakobson L (ed.). Innovation with Chinese Characteristics: High-Tech Research in China. London: Palgrave Macmillan UK. pp. 134–165. doi:10.1057/9780230591929_5. ISBN 978-0-230-59192-9.
  3. "Genomic Dreams Coming True In China". Forbes. Retrieved 2021-06-08.
  4. Cohen J (2019-08-01). "The untold story of the 'circle of trust' behind the world's first gene-edited babies". Science | AAAS. Retrieved 2021-06-08.
  5. National Genomics Data Center. (2020). "Organizational Structure". National Genomics Data Center website Retrieved 26 March 2020.

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