On December 8, 2022, the winter atmosphere stirred the still green leaves. The team of iBHE Liu Xiao from Tsinghua University Shenzhen International Graduate School launched a half-day tour of the Shenzhen National Gene Bank. During the tour, teachers and students visited the basic conditions of the "three banks and two platforms" and had intimate interaction with nature here.
Photo of the National Gene Bank location research group
On the morning of the 8th, the students came to the National Gene Bank located in Dapeng New District. The whole gene bank building was built on the mountain, in the form of terraces. The artificial lake raised water birds living here, and sometimes brushed over flocks of white doves. The exquisite integration of human technology and nature Outlines an elegant picture of natural workmanship.
National gene bank location natural scenery
Approved by the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, and the National Health Commission, Shenzhen China National GeneBank (CNGB) was completed and put into operation in 2016. Currently, Shenzhen Huada Institute of Life Sciences is temporarily entrusted to participate in the operation. With the aim of "perpetuation and immortality", the Gene Bank aims to become an international first-class public welfare, open, supportive and leading strategic science and technology platform. It is the first state-level comprehensive gene bank approved for preparation in China. The Shenzhen National Gene Bank Life Big Data Platform (CNGBdb), released in 2018, was included in Elsevier's omics data archive in July 2021, which also means that contributions to journals owned by Elsevier can participate in scientific research data sharing in December of the same year. The platform has also been recognized by Wiley. Gene Bank continues to provide continuous data archiving, computational analysis, knowledge search, management authorization and visualization and other data services for domestic scientific research talents in related fields and people in need of society.
The headquarters of BGI is located in Shenzhen, China. As the founder of China's gene industry, BGI adheres to the vision of "gene technology for the benefit of mankind". Its main business covers many omics big data technology means such as gene detection, mass spectrometry detection and bioinformation analysis. It provides research services and precision medicine testing comprehensive solutions for scientific research institutions, enterprises and public institutions, medical institutions and social health organizations, and has become one of the few scientific and technological service providers and precision medicine service operators in the world. At present, the Shenzhen Huada Institute of Life Sciences is responsible for the operation of the Shenzhen National Gene Bank and the construction of China's first provincial key laboratory of high-throughput genome sequencing, synthesis editing and application, to further implement the three core supporting technologies of genome "read-change-write", and accelerate the transformation of basic scientific research into industrial application. In order to solve the problem of delayed localization of gene sequencer, so as to free domestic genome research from dependence on imported manufacturers, it also attaches importance to the development of synthetic biology. In the second phase planning of national gene bank, the production capacity layout of synthesis and editing has taken the leading position in the world.
Staff on hand handed out purified water and mammoth brooches to the students. I believe that anyone who has ever visited the National Gene Bank will never forget the mammoth statues on display inside and outside the exhibition hall. Those creatures living in the history, unable to be seen today, always attract successive researchers who want to bring them back to the reality. With the increasing loss of species diversity, the relationship between human and nature is in urgent need of improvement. Fortunately, people have found the kindred of the future -- genes. For "perpetuation and immortality", it is not only an opportunity for many species all over the earth to live in the future, but also the eternal desire and pursuit of human life.
"Eternal life", is also the eternal subject of human future
The main content of our visit includes indoor exhibition hall and outdoor ecological park. The staff first introduced the development history and scientific research trends of the national gene Bank to us, and then the field investigation of "three databases and two platforms", namely, biological sample resource database, biological information database, living database of animal and plant resources, digital platform and synthesis and editing platform. During the visit, students saw the sequencing instruments and working methods used in data analysis, and also learned about the history of the development of sequencing.
"Three libraries and two platforms" construction and function introduction diagram
National Gene Bank sequencing instrument display
When it comes to sequencing, many people first think of Sanger and the DNA sequencing technology brought by Sanger, but they do not know that as early as 1968, Mr. Wu Rui, a Chinese biologist, published the first paper to determine the base composition of DNA. Mr. Wu Rui is worthy of the title of the first person to sequence DNA. The 21st century is the century of life science. Since the double helix structure of DNA was discovered, DNA sequence determination has become the basic technology required for the study of life science in order to accurately interpret the genetic information of life. Gene sequencer, as the core tool of its research, plays a pivotal role in the current scientific and technological competition between China and the United States. In 2013, China joined the leading race in the field of sequencing technology. In the same year, China University of China acquired Complete Genomics (CG), a biotechnology company providing sequencing services in the United States. CG itself is recognized as having the highest accuracy of sequencing results in the industry. At the same time, the university launched its own research and development of sequencers, and launched the first-generation BGISEQ-500 sequencer in 2015, which greatly reduced the cost of human genome sequencing, and subsequently launched a number of high-throughput sequencing instruments. With the continuous development of high-throughput sequencing technology, scientists began to study breakthroughs in long-read and long-read technology. In March 2022, Science released the seamless assembly of the latest human reference genome (T2T-CHM13), obtaining complete sequence genome data for the first time. At the same time, in order to improve the sequencing resolution to the level of single cell, scientists developed the technology of "spatial omics". With the development of technology, "spatiotemporal omics" came into being, further realizing the dynamic gene determination in situ...
BGISEQ-500 sequencer
MGISEQ-T7 sequencer
Thanks for your guidance and explanation, this visit to Shenzhen National Gene Bank is a complete success! Today, with the vigorous progress in the field of life science, Gene Bank is strongly linked with major scientific research infrastructure in China. Adhering to the concept of open sample/data resource sharing and open platform facilities, Gene Bank provides high-quality data guarantee and actively facilitates the landing and incubation of scientific research projects. This also brings inspiration and strength for students to make continuous innovation and break through themselves on the way of scientific research.Just like the saying "eternal life", in another way, it is a sustainable and vigorous growth. Human beings keep the fire for the future, and the cornerstone of each step is the road that scientists have explored through hard work, and that road will benefit mankind and the whole world.
Every moment captured by the camera is our beautiful memory
Students take a group photo at the beach in Jinsha Wan
Text/Photo: Wu Sixian/Ma Wentao/Guo Dani/Wang Xiuyuan
Editor: Wu Sixian
Review: Ma Wentao