On February 3, Uruguayan President Yamandu Orsi met with Yin Ye, CEO of BGI Group, in Beijing. Yin Ye reviewed BGI's business operations and cooperative achievements in Uruguay, noting that the partnership is deepening. He expressed anticipation that by expanding BGI's clinical molecular testing laboratory in Uruguay, testing capabilities across Uruguay and the wider Latin American region would be comprehensively enhanced, allowing "Chinese solutions" to continuously support the development of public health systems in Latin American nations. President Orsi stated, "BGI's clinical molecular testing laboratory in Uruguay has performed excellently and has become a key public health service provider, significantly boosting the country's testing capacity and making outstanding contributions to the health of the Uruguayan people." He emphasized that technology is the most vital driver of economic development and social progress, expressing confidence that BGI would further contribute to the advancement of Uruguay's life sciences sector.
The following day, BGI Group and Uruguay's Clemente Estable Biological Research Institute (IIBCE) signed a memorandum of understanding on cooperation in Beijing. Yin Ye and Uruguayan Foreign Minister Mario Lubetkin represented their respective sides at the signing ceremony. The collaboration will focus on joint research and personnel exchanges to promote continuous breakthroughs in genomics, microbiology, cancer research, and reproductive health. Regarding this partnership, President Orsi commented, "IIBCE has a long history and strong capabilities, being one of Uruguay's most important life science research institutions. I believe the cooperation between IIBCE and BGI will make significant contributions to the technological development of both countries. The Uruguayan government will fully support Chinese enterprises, represented by BGI, in establishing and growing their presence in Uruguay."
IIBCE is a national public research institution under Uruguay's Ministry of Education and Culture. Since its establishment in 1927, it has remained one of the country's foremost biomedical research centers. The initiation of cooperation between BGI and IIBCE coincides with the 38th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and Uruguay. This collaboration not only helps solidify the foundation of BGI's cooperation with Uruguay in the health sector and further promotes the application of genomic科技成果 in Latin America but also marks the establishment of a long-term, stable partnership between a Chinese private technology enterprise and a Uruguayan national life and health research institution, injecting new technological vitality into the comprehensive strategic partnership between China and Uruguay.
Since the fight against COVID-19, BGI has continuously supported the development of Uruguay's precision medicine and public health systems, establishing a foundation of friendly cooperation. In April 2024, BGI established its first internationally leading clinical molecular testing laboratory in Uruguay. This project represented the first overseas实体化 of BGI's "Huo Yan" air-inflated laboratory solution, transformed into a long-term clinical application base. Since its launch, the laboratory has consistently provided high-quality testing services to Uruguay and neighboring countries. Through deep local collaboration, it aims to become a regional testing center for all of Latin America, offering improved medical services to local populations.
The laboratory offers non-invasive prenatal testing, preimplantation genetic testing, whole-genome sequencing, whole-exome sequencing, hereditary cancer testing, tumor medication guidance testing, and colorectal cancer early screening, covering the entire testing process from sample reception and extraction to library preparation, hybridization capture, quality control, sequencing, bioinformatics analysis, and report issuance. The high-throughput sequencing technology (NGS) used by the laboratory features high throughput, high accuracy, and low cost, enhancing Latin America's screening capabilities for diseases related to birth defect prevention and control, and cancer prevention and control.
Moving forward, as a globally leading life science前沿机构, BGI will use genomic technology as a link to continuously support practical cooperation between China and Uruguay in life and health fields, setting a benchmark for how "Chinese solutions" can benefit the Latin American region.