Beijing Genome Institute (BGI) (now formally known as BGI Group) is a conglomerate of (independent) research, development and laboratory organizations focused around the genetic sciences. Although advanced genetics is a big push of the Chinese Government, wanting to lead instead of follow in this critical, emerging technology, BGI has only accepted grants and loans and not any (supposedly) controlling interest. While BGI is based in mainland China, they are best known for a large, operational ISO and CLIA accredited laboratory in Hong Kong. They do not provide WGS services to the general public but instead to other institutions. Many of today's DTC WGS testing services have started by contracting services from BGI Genomics Laboratory.
Of more direct interest here is MGI Tech, the manufacturing subsidiary of BGI Genomics, that makes WGS sequencing equipment that competes with Illumina, Pacific Bio and the like. The DNB series of sequencers are products of MGI Tech. MGI Tech was formed by the acquisition of Complete Genomics of San Jose, California in 2013. Due to ongoing patent litigation, MGI Tech was barred from selling in the United States of America and a few other locations. But is sold and used elsewhere; most notably with the BGI laboratory in Hong Kong. As of August 2023, the original solexa patents expired and Illumina and MGI decided to settle all other outstanding patent disputes. Leading to the availability of MGI sequencers everywhere and thus the adoption of them by many providing services to genetic genealogy.
The Complete Genomics NGS sequencers of interest are based on the base DNB-GS400RS. Similar in size and function to the Illumina Novaseq 6000. MGI has built up multiple machines into clusters with robotic control within them. While the variations are known with further extensions to the name given here, we tend to identify them more simply as DNB T7, DNB T10 and DNB T20. These sequencers use larger flowplates instead of flowcells of the Novaseq variety. A major update to their chemistry and flowplates is evident in the sequencer IDs in result files but not so in the product literature; so directly. We simply generally term it "v2".
Not to be confused with the Beijing Institute of Genomics (BIG) which IS a part of the Chinese (government) Academy of Sciences institute.
Of more direct interest here is MGI Tech, the manufacturing subsidiary of BGI Genomics, that makes WGS sequencing equipment that competes with Illumina, Pacific Bio and the like. The DNB series of sequencers are products of MGI Tech. MGI Tech was formed by the acquisition of Complete Genomics of San Jose, California in 2013. Due to ongoing patent litigation, MGI Tech was barred from selling in the United States of America and a few other locations. But is sold and used elsewhere; most notably with the BGI laboratory in Hong Kong. As of August 2023, the original solexa patents expired and Illumina and MGI decided to settle all other outstanding patent disputes. Leading to the availability of MGI sequencers everywhere and thus the adoption of them by many providing services to genetic genealogy.
The Complete Genomics NGS sequencers of interest are based on the base DNB-GS400RS. Similar in size and function to the Illumina Novaseq 6000. MGI has built up multiple machines into clusters with robotic control within them. While the variations are known with further extensions to the name given here, we tend to identify them more simply as DNB T7, DNB T10 and DNB T20. These sequencers use larger flowplates instead of flowcells of the Novaseq variety. A major update to their chemistry and flowplates is evident in the sequencer IDs in result files but not so in the product literature; so directly. We simply generally term it "v2".
Not to be confused with the Beijing Institute of Genomics (BIG) which IS a part of the Chinese (government) Academy of Sciences institute.
External References
- BGI Corporate Website (also China TLD based BGI Website)
- MGI Tech Corporate Website
- Wikipedia page on BGI
- BIG (not BGI)