GenoMind Biotech Strengthens Life Science 'New Infrastructure' with Comprehensive Sequencing Portfolio and Multi-Omics Innovation

As the Lunar New Year begins, everything is renewed.

At the beginning of 2024, following consecutive awards of two key special projects on “Frontier Biotechnologies,” the key special project under the National Key R&D Program of the Ministry of Science and Technology, titled “Development of Basic Scientific Research Conditions and Major Instrumentation,” with GeneMind leading the project on “Research and Development of High-Throughput Nucleic Acid Fragment Analyzers,” received official approval for establishment. This occurred within a month spanning the New Year,GeneMind’s Third National Key R&D Program Approved

Not long ago, GeneMind was successfully selected for the 2023 Venture50 Life and Health List and honored as a “Deloitte China Technology Fast Rising Star” in 2023, thanks to its outstanding technical capabilities and market performance.

Ten years have passed, long enough to witness a toddling infant transform into a confident, running youth; likewise, this decade has been sufficient for a startup, deeply rooted in the fertile soil of innovation, to grow into a towering tree with lush foliage.

Nurtured by time, GeneMind has gradually revealed its unique vitality and vigor.

What kind of company is this? What growth path has it taken in terms of independent R&D and domestic substitution? What innovative achievements and advantages do its technical products offer? What are its strategic plans and considerations for the future? With these questions in mind, VCBeat conducted an exclusive interview with Dr. Yan Qin, Chairman of GeneMind.

When GeneMind was founded, China’s gene sequencing services were experiencing rapid growth. However, the upstream core equipment sector for generating genetic data—namely, gene sequencers—remained a vacuum. At that time, the mainstream sequencer market was dominated by a few foreign giants. Through high prices, long supply lead times, and stringent operational requirements, these companies leveraged equipment and technological barriers to monopolize decision-making power across the entire industry chain.

“Gene sequencers are the ‘photolithography machines’ of the gene sequencing industry. Only by developing China’s own gene sequencers can we truly safeguard public health and national genetic information security.””Driven by this conviction, in 2014, the GeneMind team decided to embark on independent research and development to create domestically produced sequencers.

On one hand, the manufacturing of sequencers presents high technical barriers due to the integration of numerous cutting-edge disciplines, including optics, mechanics, electronics, fluidics, biochemistry, chips, and algorithms. On the other hand, there is a scarcity of talent, capital, and industrial foundation. Thus, the difficulties in achieving product breakthroughs are self-evident.

“At that time, no company in China had successfully developed a gene sequencer. There were no prototypes to reference, and there was no clear understanding of the functional implementation and core technologies of gene sequencers. It was akin to exploring an uncharted territory,” recalled Yan Qin.

Like all enterprises pursuing original innovation, GeneMind has advanced steadily despite a challenging start.

From manually performing sequencing in a darkroom, to the first observation of fluorescent signals from DNA molecules, to achieving automation of the sequencing workflow and the creation of a proof-of-concept prototype, followed by the development of automated algorithms and independently developed microscopy imaging systems, as well as the independent synthesis and production of nucleotide bases... After undergoing a series of groundbreaking explorations and overcoming numerous challenges from scratchIn July 2017, GeneMind successfully launched its first independently developed gene sequencer—the GenoCare 1600 Single-Molecule Gene Sequencer.

Through continuous innovation, GeneMind has overcome critical technological and process bottlenecks in gene sequencers, mastering independent design and development capabilities for core modules of sequencing systems, including high-resolution optical systems, precision fluid control systems, chemical reagents, sequencing chips, and bioinformatics software.Established the “SURFseq” sequencing technology platform with independent intellectual property rights, securing comprehensive protection from methodology to key process technologies, with over 400 domestic and international patents granted or pending.

While overcoming R&D challenges, GeneMind also adheres to a strategy of synchronizing production and construction.

Since the establishment of the first production line for domestically manufactured single-molecule sequencers in 2018, toCurrently, the total area dedicated to R&D and production in operation exceeds 10,000 square meters, featuring a sequencer manufacturing base, GMP-compliant reagent kit production lines, a chip laboratory, an organic synthesis laboratory, and an enzyme engineering laboratory. The annual production capacity reaches 1,000 sequencers and 2.4 million test kits.

Leveraging its independent R&D and manufacturing capabilities, GeneMind has truly achieved full-platform autonomy and controllability across “instruments–reagents–chips–software,” enabling domestic substitution.

Following the GenoCare 1600, GeneMind’s sequencing equipment portfolio has become increasingly comprehensive, with the successive launch of its independently developedThe GenoLab M series, FASTASeq 300 series, and SURFSeq 5000 series high-throughput gene sequencers provide comprehensive coverage from gigabase (Gb) to terabase (Tb) throughput. This product portfolio, spanning low-, medium-, and high-throughput sequencing solutions, meets diverse needs from scientific research to clinical applications, fully empowering gene sequencing initiatives.

Among them, GenoLab M is a precise, efficient, flexible, and open desktop high-throughput gene sequencer. It is compatible with mainstream NGS library preparation and data analysis workflows on the market, and features both a dual-chip platform and a rolling load mode, providing diversified options for the development of NGS testing applications.

FASTASeq 300 is designed for targeted sequencing and low-coverage whole-genome sequencing. With its exceptional flexibility, streamlined operation, and rapid turnaround time, it enables users to effortlessly meet application needs in reproductive health, pathogen detection, oncology testing, and molecular breeding.

SURFSeq 5000 is GeneMind’s first terabyte-scale desktop gene sequencer, positioned as “versatile, fast, high-quality, and cost-effective.” It breaks the “impossible triangle” of low instrument cost, low startup cost, and low cost per unit of data. With the instrument cost of a desktop unit and the startup cost for small sample batches, it achieves a per-Gb sequencing price comparable to that of large-scale instruments operating at full capacity.

“If we liken the ecosystem of the gene sequencing industry to a tree, the gene sequencing platforms constitute its roots, the various fields of clinical practice and scientific research form its branches, and the diverse application scenarios and solutions across these fields are its fruits.” Yan Qin believes that whether it is the abundant harvest or the prosperity of the industry ecosystem, close collaboration and synergy among partners across the industrial chain are essential.

GeneMind has always taken gene sequencers as its “cornerstone,” committed to promoting the applied research and implementation of domestically produced sequencers,Actively engage in joint development, co-registration, and solution integration with partners, while providing deep empowerment in fields such as spatial omics, proteomics, DNA synthesis, and storage, to jointly build a healthy, diversified, and high-quality industry ecosystem.

Currently, GeneMind has established collaborations with industry-leading enterprises in the fields of reproductive health, genetic diseases, tumor prevention and control, infectious diseases, forensic science, and molecular breeding. Its sequencers are operating stably in partners’ laboratories, serving as foundational “infrastructure” to empower genomic sequencing applications and facilitate the realization of industry value.

For instance, in the field of molecular breeding, which is critical to national seed industry security, GeneMind has partnered with SMIC Seeds to promote the application and development of NGS-based genomics in agricultural molecular breeding, thereby supporting the revitalization of the seed industry and delivering genetic value. In terms of deep innovation, GeneMind collaborates with research partners such as the Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and the Shenzhen Academy of Environmental Sciences to jointly develop direct RNA sequencing technologies and co-establish an algal genome database, strengthening and supplementing the industrial chain while jointly exploring a new ecosystem for domestically produced gene sequencing.

GeneMind has not only achieved remarkable success in China but also actively showcased China’s technological prowess to the world. Its products are widely sold in numerous countries and regions across Europe, Asia, and beyond, with more than 300 sequencing instruments installed at over 200 customers both domestically and internationally. “The quality and reputation of ‘Made in China’ in the international market are now incomparable to what they were a decade ago,” remarked Yan Qin with deep conviction. “Embracing the global market is an integral part of our strategic planning. In the future, we will continue to increase our investments to provide global users with a more diverse range of high-performance equipment options, making life readable and health shapeable.”

Leveraging open collaboration built on proprietary foundational technologies, GeneMind’s domestically produced sequencing platform is transitioning from “import substitution” to “deep innovation,” from “being usable” to “being used effectively,” and from “domestically produced for domestic use” to “domestically produced for global use.” Regarding the vision for building an industrial ecosystem, Yan Qin stated:“We aim to leverage gene sequencers as our core tool, focusing on the foundational hardware and software layers of the industry to provide a basic platform for the life sciences sector. This will enable countless partners to expand and apply their content and technologies, creating diverse application scenarios that empower frontier exploration and precision medicine, thereby accelerating the benefit of these technologies to public health.”

From initiating independent R&D to establishing a proprietary intellectual property technology system; from laboratory innovation to product commercialization and the formation of a diversified product portfolio; from in-house manufacturing across the entire “instrument–reagent–chip–software” platform to the construction of an industrial ecosystem, GeneMind has become one of the few sequencing system manufacturers worldwide with both a comprehensive lineup of sequencers and the capability for commercial delivery.

Positioned within a strategic emerging industry critical to public health and the national bioeconomy, with an eye toward the future,GeneMind is fully leveraging the strategic synergy of “government, industry, academia, research, and healthcare” to focus on the R&D and application development of core technologies for life science instruments., we will make every effort to conquer key core technologies, accelerate innovative breakthroughs, build national strategic assets in the life sciences sector, and facilitate the gene sequencing industry’s development at a higher level.

In terms of talent for future development, GeneMind has built a top-tier team that is rare in the industry, combining both R&D and production experience with unwavering conviction. The difficulty in mass-producing and commercializing sequencers lies in the fact that moving from the laboratory to end-user implementation requires not only integrating all components into a precision instrument capable of stable operation and scalable manufacturing, but also extensive interdisciplinary integration, data accumulation, and scenario development. Yan Qin stated:“Talent and their spirit of scientific research and innovation are the inexhaustible driving force for continuous product and application innovation.”

As a leading Chinese independent brand of gene sequencing instruments and a national-level “Little Giant” enterprise specializing in refined, distinctive, and innovative products, GeneMind has collaborated with Academician Chen Runsheng of the Chinese Academy of Sciences to establish the first Academician Workstation in Guangdong Province and the Shenzhen Academician Workstation in the field of gene sequencers. In addition, it has been approved to establish the Guangdong Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center and the Shenzhen Single-Molecule Sequencing Platform and Application Engineering Research Center.Multiple high-level innovation platforms integrate industry, academia, and research efforts, continuously injecting new momentum into the R&D of core sequencing technologies and the commercialization of their outcomes.

Centered on the major strategic needs of national basic research and technological innovation, GeneMindCollaborating with domestic industry, academia, research, and medical institutions, we have separately taken the lead in undertaking and actively participated in multiple National Key R&D Programs of the Ministry of Science and Technology., through key special projects such as "Basic Scientific Research Conditions and R&D of Major Instruments and Equipment" and "Frontier Biotechnology," it continues to introduce new innovative technologies and products in the fields of high-end scientific instruments and life science platforms.

GeneMind’s journey epitomizes the path of self-reliance and strength in the development of domestically produced sequencers. As China’s technological prowess and the life health sector achieve high-quality integrated development, VCBeat believes that Chinese tech enterprises are capable of shouldering the mission of the times: to build cornerstone instruments for life sciences and lead a new era in the field.