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DECODING BIOTECH SUCCESS

apid developments in bioimaging What led you to establish research tools are essential for and sequencing technologies have BIOPIC? driving life science research. revolutionized biological science. Since I started my academic career Cross-disciplinary integration R as a biophysical chemist, as I is also vital. To this end, we’ve ’s (PKU) Biomedical Pioneering enjoy playing with instruments. brought in multidisciplinary New BIOPIC building with expanded research facilities Innovation Centre (BIOPIC) was founded in Physical chemistry has offered researchers, including physical 2010, an interdisciplinary group of researchers tools for better understanding chemists or biophysicists, such has been dedicated to developing these biomolecular processes, fuelling as myself, structural biologists, many advances. I originally molecular biologists, as well as enhanced by big data analytics that of the Human Genome individual tumour cells and are also close enough to the cutting-edge techniques, and harnessing them focused on bioimaging, using those working on biotechnology can be used to advance Project. It allows us to probe their microenvironment, bio hub at Zhongguancun to address fundamental biological issues and single-molecule fluorescence or engineering, mathematics, our basic science research, the full complement of DNA, facilitating identifying new Science Park, home to biotech compelling medical problems. Their results have microscopy and other tools, and computational ranging from , as well as RNA existing within targets for therapy. Recently, giants (such as BeiGene) improved understanding of biological systems, which allow monitoring, science. Many of our new genetics and molecular a cell, mapping genome one of our PIs revealed the and start-ups alike. In fact, analysing and manipulating biotechnologies are results of biology, to developmental structure and function. It dynamics of single immune five out of the six biotech as well as infectious and non-communicable activities of single molecules collaboration. I’d say the level of biology, tumour immunology helps us to answer questions cells in liver cancer, using companies founded by BIOPIC diseases. On the 10th anniversary of BIOPIC, in live cells. It changed the interdisciplinarity at BIOPIC is and bioinformatics. We also like how genetic information single-cell RNA sequencing, researchers are registered its founding director, Xiaoliang Sunney Xie, way biological problems are unparalleled. emphasize clinical translation carried by DNA or RNA shedding light on potential in . BIOPIC provides a pioneer in single molecule biology, reflects addressed. We are also unique in our of our technologies. A controls cell functions. This treatment strategies. our scientists with enough As next-generation emphasis on clinical translation. whole-genome amplification will generate new insights Another example is our support and freedom, so that on its growth, and shares his vision for the sequencing takes off, genomic We have works published technique that we developed into some fundamental life collaboration with Jie Qiao, from they dare to dream big, while development of single-cell technologies. analysis can be done much in leading journals, but that enables high-coverage science issues, and bring Peking University Third Hospital, nurturing a close-knit intra- faster and more cheaply. This is not our ultimate goal. We sequencing, and has been used new possibilities for clinical to improve pre-implantation and extramural community, technological revolution in encourage our researchers in pre-implantation genetic application, including prenatal genetic diagnosis and screening. so their synergy can spark biological sciences is bringing a to commercialize their screening. Our error-correction genetic testing and cancer Based on the single-cell ideas to translate into clinical new era of precision medicine. technologies, and to collaborate code sequencing, CRISPR- diagnostics. whole-genome amplification contributions. Seeing the application with clinicians for applications based sequencing, along with To find its footing in technology we developed potential of new sequencing in medicine. As scientists, we a safe and more efficient gene- this rapidly moving field, earlier, our new approach has What is your expectation for technologies, I began to shift are interested in advancing editing tool have been used in it is important for to been used to select, with high BIOPIC? to single-cell genomics, and fundamental science, but are analysing human embryonic develop single-cell genomics precision, healthy embryos from We aim to make BIOPIC developed our own sequencer. also keen to benefit society with development, stem cells, and technologies, including its couples with known monogenic a world-leading research Meanwhile, the idea of our technologies. tumour microenvironment, own sequencers. And we’re diseases. institution in biomedicine, building a centre dedicated informing reproductive driving such technological pioneering in cutting-edge XIAOLIANG to developing and harnessing What are the cutting-edge medicine, and the diagnosis developments at BIOPIC. How does BIOPIC promote biotechnologies and original SUNNEY XIE cutting-edge technologies technologies that BIOPIC and treatment of cancer and research translation? research. We develop and BIOPIC’s Founding for fundamental science and focuses on? infectious diseases. How do single-cell BIOPIC is all about translating harness innovative bioimaging Director medicine emerged. Myself, BIOPIC was initially named technologies pave the way for technologies into applications and genetic sequencing along with two other PKU Biodynamic Optical Imaging Why are you focusing on precision medicine? — we are only limited by our techniques, which provide alumni, proposed the idea Centre, based on my earlier single-cell genomics? Precision medicine must own imagination. A healthy tools to investigate basic life to our alma mater, and in work at Harvard on single- Single-molecule technologies take into account individual and fluid ecosystem is needed science and medical research 2010, BIOPIC was officially molecule imaging. Now we’ve have enabled us to variability in genes, and for translational research, and questions at the molecular and established. broadened our scope. We explain life processes at the genetic understanding at PKU, we have abundant cellular levels. I also expect focus on single-cell genomics the molecular level, an of diseases enabled by resources and strengths in a that our work will be translated What makes BIOPIC unique? technologies, including important development in single-cell genomics helps variety of fundamental fields. into technological and medical BIOPIC is a technology- high-throughput sequencing, the 20th century. Single-cell doctors to identify the On the clinical side, we have breakthroughs, ultimately driven biomedical research genetic editing, and microfluidic genomics is a next-generation most appropriate treatment many affiliated hospitals. We benefiting society and mankind. centre, fusing basic research, control. These, along with sequencing technology with for individuals. In cancer biotechnology development, single-molecular imaging, potential to bring in an even treatment, for example, using and medical applications. super-resolution and label- bigger revolution, I believe, next-generation sequencing I believe breakthroughs in free imaging technologies, with greater impact than technologies, we can analyse

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