BGI and Czech Association Opens Genetic Test Facility

BGI Health, a subsidiary sequencing unit of BGI (Shenzhen, China) and the Association of Czech genetic centres have founded a genetic test facilty in Prague, Czech, focusing on prenatal diagnostics in Europe. Investment and Business Development Agency CzechInvest helped mediate the project.

Mrs Kopicova, first Vice-Chairman of the Research, Development and Innovation Council of the Czech Government, Dr Jian Wang, President of BGI and Dr Matej Stejskal, executive director of GENNET and chairman of the Association of Czech genetic centres attended the announcement ceremony.

The Prague facility, which supplements the Copenhagen research facility set up by BGI last year will be installed with the Ion Proton Platform from Life Technologies and BGI’s bioinformatics expertise.

“The facility is poised to be a Centre of Excellence that receives and processes tests not only in the Czech Republic, but also other European countries,” said Dr Ning Li, Director of BGI Europe. He especially emphasised the intended use of the current test NIFTY, a non-invasive prenatal test in the first trimester of pregnancy which is said to offer advantages in accuracy and sensitivity without posing any risk to the foetus.

The facility will also provide opportunity for connections with national research groups and government. “I believe this centre will also strive to cultivate joint collaborations between China and Europe,” Lining added.

“For the Czech Republic this investment is not only about the two million EUR and tens of new job positions for university alumni in the field of biology, biochemistry and bioinformatics, but also an exceptional opportunity for further development of local science and research activities in genomics and life sciences,” said Petr Ocko, acting CEO of CzechInvest.