The official opening ceremony of the Astana Genetic Center laboratory of the Chinese company BGI Group took place on July 19 at the National Center of Biotechnology in Astana.
Kunsulu Zakariya, advisor to the President of Kazakhstan on Science and Innovation; Akmaral Alnazarova, Minister of Health; and Saule Sabyr, First Secretary of the Investment Committee of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan attended the opening ceremony.
As reported by Kazakh Invest national company, with a local partner represented by the scientific and production company BIOGEN Technopark LLP, BGI Group has opened a laboratory specializing in conducting a wide range of molecular genetic tests related to reproductive health, diagnosis of hereditary diseases, and monitoring in the field of oncology. The Astana Genetic Center is the only full-cycle laboratory in Kazakhstan that conducts all stages of research without exporting biomaterial.
On the eve of the opening, Nurzhan Abilkhaiyr, Director of the Department for Attracting Investments and Marketing at Kazakh Invest, met with Yin Ye, CEO of BGI Group. During the meeting, Yin Ye expressed gratitude to Kazakh Invest and the Investment Committee for their support in implementing the project.
The parties expressed a common desire for further cooperation in the implementation of promising projects. At the moment, BGI Group is negotiating with the Akimat (administration) of Kyzylorda region on a project to combat desertification in the region.
BGI Group is a world leader in genome research of living organisms. The company has over 100 joint laboratories, medical centers, and production facilities in more than 30 countries and employs over 10,000 people.
