With Approval from Israeli and Palestinian Authorities, BGI and AID Genomics Announce Emergency COVID-19 Testing Lab in Gaza
The Chinese and Israeli firms are partnering to perform 3,000 COVID-19 tests daily for Gaza residents as the novel coronavirus pandemic sweeps the world
REHOVOT, Israel, April 6, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- China-based genome sequencing company BGI and Israeli medical technology company AID Genomics today announced a partnership to build an emergency testing laboratory in Gaza. The two companies have received approval for the lab from Israeli and Palestinian authorities to perform 3,000 COVID-19 tests daily for Gaza residents.
In a rare turn of events, Palestinian and Israeli authorities have mutually agreed on a common goal to fight the global threat of the novel coronavirus. With approvals from both sides of the Gaza border, the people of Gaza will see hope in defeating COVID-19, as well as a light of peace in the future.
BGI, one of the world's most prominent suppliers of COVID-19 PCR tests, will provide the testing via its HuoYan Labs solution. BGI was one of the first institutes to examine the virus that erupted in Wuhan. In light of the lack of test throughput, BGI built the first HuoYan Laboratory in Wuhan within five days in February, followed by four additional labs in other large cities. To date, BGI has performed more than 500,000 coronavirus tests in China.
"The worst of times reveals the best in people; saving lives is of paramount importance," said Dr. Ye Yin, the CEO of BGI. "We must work together to surmount whatever difficulties lie ahead."
AID Genomics will lead localized fundraising efforts and provide necessary equipment and personnel for the lab, which is expected to cost millions of dollars. AID Genomics' parent company AID Group will lead the donation alongside Mammoth Foundation, a non-profit organization in Shenzhen, China to donate and organize fundraising in China for the Gaza lab operation. Prospective donors may contact AID Genomics in Israel.
The AID Group has already supplied hundreds of thousands of BGI-developed test kits to the State of Israel. AID is now launching an extraordinary initiative for the people of Gaza and the Palestinian Authority with the support of the authorities' special approvals and the technology transfer from BGI.
According to Snir Zano, the CEO of AID Genomics, "In the past months, we have been working with BGI at full speed to assist as much as we can. To my delight as an Israeli, our proposal was approved by the Palestinian Authorities and other relevant departments. We have then received calls from various parties around the world to show their support. We are fortunate that Mammoth Foundation and our Chairman's, Kelvin Wu's philanthropic family arm, i-Future Foundation, are the first to lead the donation. The lab will be a HuoYan Lab Solution and be ready to perform up to 3,000 tests per day."
"We are humbled to receive the support from BGI that derived from our two years of continuous R&D collaboration in cancer genomics," said Kelvin Wu, the Founder and Chairman of AID Group. "When it comes to illness, it is a common challenge to humanity. We are wholeheartedly committed to winning the fight against diseases."
BGI's vast testing capability has enabled a fast reaction time and rapid treatment for those found infected with the virus, even in incubation. Today, dozens of countries are requesting aid from BGI's HuoYan Labs, and AID Group is in the process of bringing the labs to Gaza and Israel first.
About BGI
BGI is the world's leading genomics solutions group, with the mission to empower the world to benefit from genomics. Founded in 1999, BGI has continually focused on transformative genomics research and applications. From a small group of scientists participating in the Human Genome Project to becoming consistently ranked among the top scientific institutions globally, BGI Group continues to pioneer its omics-driven approach to solving the world's biggest challenges in human health & wellness and in life sciences.
Beyond its research leadership, BGI Group also develops and manufactures breakthrough enabling technologies for omics – both tools and infrastructure – through its MGI subsidiary. BGI's services and solutions are available in more than 100 countries and regions around the world. With a fully integrated omics platform from science to tools to solutions, BGI partners with governments and institutions in unwavering pursuit of the common goal: Omics for All.
For more information visit https://en.genomics.cn.
About AID Genomics
AID Genomics is an international group of medical technology companies specializing in the diagnosis and therapy of cancer. In 2017, the company acquired GeneSort, a diagnostics company that develops and performs genomic and genetic testing for accurate and personalized cancer care.
AID Genomics advanced testing platforms are developed by a leading team of experts in the fields of oncology, molecular biology, molecular pathology, genomics and bioinformatics. AID Genomics uses cutting edge technology to substantially improve cancer patients' survival rate and quality of life by offering an early detection process integrated with personalized preventive medicine.
For more information, please visit www.aidgenomics.com.
SOURCE AID Genomics
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