MGI, a company focused on life science tools and technology, is helping The African BioGenome Project (AfricaBP) with its first plant species sequencing. They’re using MGI’s DNBSEQ-G400 sequencer and stLFR technology.
AfricaBP is part of the Earth BioGenome Project and aims to sequence 105,000 African species, including plants, animals, fungi, and more, to benefit biodiversity and agriculture. MGI’s technology is being used by 109 African scientists and 22 organizations.
“We are proud to see MGI’s core technologies empowering the team at the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) in sequencing the very first plant species for AfricaBP,” said Dr. Yong Hou, General Manager of MGI Europe and Africa. “This was the first time our efficient and unique stLFR technology has been deployed in Africa, and we look forward to benefitting more scientists and researchers in the region and advancing the local field of genomics with our end-to-end products and offerings.”
This project is vital for biodiversity, agriculture, and public health in Africa. It will help create resilient and sustainable food systems, strengthen agriculture, and support biodiversity conservation.
The AfricaBP Open Institute for Genomics and Bioinformatics has been established to exchange knowledge and create a genomic infrastructure for Africa. MGI is actively involved in workshops and is a key sponsor.
Dr. ThankGod Echezona Ebenezer, Founder of AfricaBP, emphasizes the importance of this project, especially with the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCTA) agreement in effect.
MGI’s stLFR technology offers long reads for genomic sequencing and has been used in more than 50 research articles.
MGI has a long-term partnership with the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) can be dated back to 2019, during which the latter established the African Genomics Centre in Cape Town, the first high-throughput genome sequencing centre in Africa, with help and support from MGI. During the pandemic, MGI’s ATOPlex technology, DNBSEQ-G50 and MGISP-100 also assisted researchers from SAMRC in screening and managing COVID-19 hotspots and circulating variants in wastewater samples, which later resulted in the Omicron variant being detected in Cape Town’s wastewater system for the first time.
In summary, MGI is supporting AfricaBP in sequencing African species to benefit biodiversity and agriculture. This project is crucial for Africa’s future, and MGI’s technology plays a key role in it.