Sequencing China, December 5, 2019: The 2019 Illumina China Precision Health Summit was successfully held at the Park Hyatt Beijing. At the summit, Illumina launched the Chinese Genotyping Array (CGA), a research-grade microarray specifically designed for the Chinese population, to advance large-scale genomic research in China.It is reported that the summit featured sessions including keynote speeches, roundtable discussions, and group project collaboration negotiations. Experts and scholars from fields such as biobanking, cohort studies, translational medicine, bioinformatics, and biopharmaceuticals attended the conference.
Summit Venue
The summit opened with remarks by Mr. Wang Biao, Marketing Director of Illumina Greater China.Mr. Wang Biao articulated Illumina’s enduring mission to improve human health by decoding genomes, as well as its ongoing efforts to drive continuous innovation in technologies and tools that advance precision health applications.Dr. Jennifer Stone, Director of Population Genomics at IlluminaDelivered the inaugural keynote address, detailing how large-scale genomic studies currently underway around the world are ultimately advancing precision health for all humanity.
Wang Biao (left), Jennifer Stone (right)
Subsequently,Professor Jian Yang, The University of Queensland, Australiadelivered a lecture titled “Design and analyses in genome-wide association studies,” discussing the design and analytical methods of GWAS research to elucidate the genetic architecture of human complex traits or complex diseases. FromProfessor Guangliang Shan, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Medical SciencesEngaged in discussions with attending experts on the rational understanding and clinical application of medical big data, emphasizing that rigorous data quality control and scientifically sound management and utilization form the foundation for advancing clinical practice.
Yang Jian (left), Shan Guangliang (right)
During the morning lecture session,Professor Houfeng Zheng of Westlake UniversityDrawing on his years of experience in genetic studies of susceptibility genes for complex diseases, he shared with the audience optimized genotype imputation evaluation methods tailored to the Chinese population and insights into the establishment of biobanks for the Chinese population.Professor Jin Zibing of Wenzhou Medical University and its Affiliated Eye Hospital, based on its practice of closely integrating scientific research with clinical applications, this study presents clinical research work involving comprehensive analysis and functional validation targeting the discovery of macular degeneration-related genes in ophthalmology.
Zheng Houfeng (left), Jin Zibing (right)
The launch ceremony for the Chinese Genotyping Array (CGA) chip, serving as the final segment of the morning session, brought the summit to a brief climax. An exciting launch video unveiled the CGA to the audience.
CGA Launch Ceremony
Mr. Faisal Chaabani, Global Product Manager for Chips at Illumina, introduced this new product optimized for research on the Chinese population.Built on the classic Illumina HTS format and inheriting from the Global Screening Array (GSA) chip, which has achieved global sales of over 15 million units, this product features an improved genome-wide backbone that provides more comprehensive coverage of both common and low-frequency variants in the Chinese population. Its evolved and refined clinical research locus library includes markers for current high-interest applications such as polygenic risk score (PRS) assessment. Consequently, the CGA is poised to serve as a universal genotyping platform, offering a reliable, high-throughput, and cost-effective solution for extensive biobanking and precision medicine research in China.
Faisal Chaabani (left), Chen Gang (right)
Subsequently,Dr. Chen Gang, CEO of WeGene, representing the Design Consortium, provided a detailed introduction to the design rationale of the chip-based whole-genome backbone for the attending experts.Chen Gang stated that WeGene was deeply involved in the design process of the new chip, laying the foundation for the excellent performance of the CGA in the Chinese population with its rich knowledge reserve of the Chinese genome. As an initial user, WeGene developed experimental protocols and data analysis solutions compatible with the CGA, verifying its powerful performance and stable operation. According to the current business plan, the CGA will begin accepting user pre-orders in the first quarter of 2020.
Following the open discussion session, as the first speaker,Professor Xu Shuhua, CAS-MPG Partner Institute for Computational BiologyDelivered a lecture titled “Population Genetics Studies in the Context of Precision Medicine,” sharing with attendees the team’s established database of single-nucleotide variants encompassing diverse global populations, as well as the applications of large-scale population genomics data in the health sector. Subsequently,Professor Wang Chaolong, Huazhong University of Science and TechnologyFrom Gene Chips to Whole-Genome Sequencing: Leveraging Large-Scale WGS to Explore the Migration and Admixture of Singapore’s Three Major Asian Ethnic Groups and Discover Novel SNPs to Improve Genotype Imputation Methods for Asia-Pacific Populations
Xu Shuhua (left), Wang Chaolong (right)
Professor Bei Jinxin from Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center introduced the use of gene chips in genetic research on EBV-associated diseases, centering on the concept of personalized diagnosis and treatment of tumors., and will provide effective solutions for the precise diagnosis and personalized treatment of diseases.The final keynote speaker at the summit was Professor Li Shiping from Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University.Professor Li Shiping introduced the research platform for cognitive disorders established under the National Clinical Research Center for Neurological Diseases. The platform has conducted robust clinical research and collaborated extensively with population genomics companies such as WeGene, achieving exciting results in translational research on Alzheimer’s disease.
Bei Jinxin (left), Li Shiping (right)
The final segment of the summit featured concurrent “Roundtable Discussions” and a “Group Project Collaboration Negotiation Meeting.” The roundtable discussions included two themes: “CGA Deep Dive” and “Personal Genomics Research.” The “CGA Deep Dive” session was co-moderated by chip application experts from Illumina and expert faculty from the CGA Design Consortium, who further elaborated on the design philosophy and performance characteristics of CGA and addressed numerous questions raised by attendees. The “Personal Genomics Research” roundtable featured insightful presentations by companies such as WeGene, highlighting how massive genotype and phenotype datasets from hundreds of thousands of individuals in natural populations have significantly advanced individual genomics research across various directions. During the “Group Project Collaboration Negotiation Meeting,” leading Chinese gene chip and sequencing service providers showcased their end-to-end service workflows—from detection to data interpretation—via posters, and actively engaged with numerous cohort researchers to explore diverse forms of collaborative research applications.
On-Site Networking and Group Photo with Guests
