Abstract

Breathtaking progress in DNA sequencing technology has made the costs dropping and throughput increasing in a lighting speed. With more organisms including human sequenced, flood of genetic data is being generated worldwide every day. Progress in genomics has been moving incrementally due to this revolution in sequencing technology. At the same time, large scale studies in exomics, metagenomics, epigenomics, and transcriptomics all become realistic suddenly. Not only do these studies provide the knowledge to basic research, but also immediate benefits to application. Scientists across many fields are utilizing these data for the development of better crops and livestock; for diagnostics, prognostics and therapies for cancer, and other complex diseases. BGI is on the cutting edge of translating genomics research into molecular breeding and disease association studies with belief that agriculture, medicine, drug development and clinical treatment would eventually enter a new stage with the understanding of genetic components of all the organisms. We are dedicating to two projects: Tree of life aims to sequence all economically and scientifically important plants/animals and model organisms. The project is best represented by the newly sequenced Giant panda and cucumber. The other one, gene and health is focusing on large scale population studies and association studies，such as 1000 genomes project and Sino-Danish diabetes project, using whole genome or whole exome sequencing strategies.