NEW YORK (GenomeWeb) – BGI has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Allen Institute for Brain Science to "discuss and explore possible scientific collaborations" using genomics.
The organizations said they may collaborate on sequencing technology, bioinformatics, and data mining, and then apply any discoveries to defining cell types in the brain and understanding neurodegenerative diseases.
"We think there is great potential to leverage BGI's genomics and research capabilities to support the Allen Institute's pioneering work in understanding of the human brain," Yiwu He, BGI's head of R&D, said in a statement. "We hope the potential collaborations can accelerate discovery in important areas and advance scientific research for the benefit of human health."
The Allen Institute for Brain Science is part of a research institute launched by Microsoft Co-Founder Paul Allen, which also houses the Allen Institute for Cell Science.
In November, the Allen Institute for Brain Science signed a supply deal for Takara Bio USA's Smart-Seq v4 Ultra Low Input RNA Kit for single-cell gene expression profiling in brain cells.