NEW YORK (GenomeWeb) – BGI and the University of Debrecen in Hungary have partnered to establish a next-generation sequencing laboratory and to collaborate on genomics research projects.
The partners signed a memorandum of understanding yesterday during the Central and Eastern European Countries (CEEC)-China Health Ministers' Meeting in Budapest.
Under the terms of the agreement, the University of Debrecen and BGI will develop research proposals and conduct joint R&D projects. They will also explore the possibility of building a sequencing hub at the university for conducting local population cohort studies and diagnostic testing. The laboratory will be staffed by the university, and BGI will provide its sequencing expertise as well as sequencing platforms and ongoing support for the operation of the laboratory.
"We believe that by combining their local strengths and BGI Group's sequencing expertise, international network, and sequencing platforms, the [memorandum of understanding] establishes the beginning of a long-term strategic partnership between [the University of Debrecen] and BGI Group," said Ning Li, chief development officer of the BGI Group Community on Precision Medicine, in a statement.