MGI 2024 Annual Report
The MGI and BGI annual reports are out… and they’re weird.
But before we get into that, who are these companies?
BGI and MGI
BGI was a research institution but also had commercial operations, did a bunch of work on large international sequencing projects like the 1000 Genomes project. They bought 128 Illumina sequencers… then started developing and selling their own sequencers. Eventually there were legal battles because there instruments were similar to Illumina’s.
The MGI was established as an independent entity.
AND THEY ARE VERY CLEAR THAT THEY ARE REALLY COMPLETELY SEPARATE DIFFERENT COMPANIES!!! (but not everyone is convinced of this…)
MGI focused on DNA sequencing instruments.
BGI focused on genetic testing.
Nanopore Sequencers?
Then, last year BGI announced a nanopore sequencer called the CycloneSeq. OK, why is BGI developing sequencers again? Weird.
What’s weirder is the CycloneSeq is listed in the MGI annual report1:
“The company has launched the mid-throughput single-molecule nanopore sequencer CycloneSEQ-WT02 (Chinese name "梧桐") and the high-throughput nanopore sequencer G400-ER (formerly CycloneSEQ-WY01, Chinese name "五岳"). Single-molecule sequencing technology has several unique advantages, including long read lengths, fast speed, direct detection of modifications, real-time results, and portability. It represents the frontier of sequencing technology and a new strategic direction for emerging industries. By closely integrating long and short read technologies, the company has significantly improved the performance and application scope of its overall solutions, making the perfect genome more accessible and providing new momentum for the accelerated development of life science and clinical research fields.” (Translations via ChatGPT: apologies for potential translation errors)
And now the CycloneSeq is discussed on the MGI site saying:
“CycloneSEQ™ is a nanopore sequencing technology platform officially launched by the BGI Group in 2024”…
But! It’s also mentioned in the BGI annual report2 and it was very clearly presented as an BGI invention… with one of the authors of the original whitepaper being part of a company called “BGI Hangzhou CycloneSEQ Technology Co.”.
So… which is it? Is the CycloneSEQ a BGI product or an MGI product?
Oh, and by the way, we seem to be getting more nanopore sequencers: