On March 12, 2024, a memorandum was signed between JSC National Holding QazBioPharm and the Chinese company BGI.

Under the Memorandum, it is planned to carry out joint research activities in the fields of biology, biotechnology, virology, chemistry, genetics, medicine, and related areas.

During the meeting, the General Director of the Holding, Yergali Abdurayimov, presented the main areas of activity of the Holding and highlighted the projects that have been implemented.

In turn, Li Ning, Executive Director of BGI, delivered a company presentation and discussed the upcoming collaborative projects.

Both parties also noted that they will work on the exchange of expertise among specialists.

At the conclusion of the meeting, representatives of BGI visited the laboratories of the Holding’s subsidiary, the National Center for Biotechnology.

BGI Group, formerly Beijing Genomics Institute, is a Chinese genomics company headquartered in the Yantian district of Shenzhen. The company was founded in 1999 as a genetic research center to participate in the Human Genome Project. It also conducts genome sequencing of other animals, plants, and microorganisms.

From a small research institute, known for sequencing the DNA of pandas and rice plants, BGI has grown into a multidisciplinary company engaged in animal cloning, health testing, and contract research. BGI’s early research was continued by the Beijing Institute of Genomics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. BGI Research, a non-profit division of the group, collaborates with the Institute of Genomics and manages the Chinese National GeneBank under contract with the Chinese government. BGI Genomics, a subsidiary, was listed on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange in 2017.