AsianScientist (Sep. 28, 2016) – China has launched its first national-level gene storage bank, a billion-dollar facility that spans more than 47,500 square meters and includes a biorepository, a bioinformatics data center and a living biobank.
The China National GeneBank (CNBG), which is the result of five years of development, is the world’s fourth national-level gene storage bank. Other such banks can be found in the US, Europe and Japan.
The Shenzhen-based facility was initiated by China’s National Development and Reform Commission in 2011 in a public-private partnership with BGI, the world’s largest genomics organization. BGI contributed 360 million yuan (approximately US$54 million) to phase one of the project, and will continue to develop and maintain the facility.
Phase one of the biorepository will store more than ten million genetic samples from humans, plants, animals and microbes. Here, researchers will also establish international standards in sample collection, storage and management.
Research at the bioinformatics data center, on the other hand, is focused on establishing a high-performance data management system to store and interpret biological information.
The living bank is expected to save and protect around 300,000 species of plants and millions of animals and microbes, and accelerate digitization of resources to lead to other innovative applications.
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Source: BGI; Photo: China National GeneBank.
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