News of SCOL.com (Reporters: Wang Yue, interns: Chen Minhong, Yang Kun) Approved as part of Science & Technology Department of Sichuan Province's "Major Science and Technology Projects of Biotechnology and Medicine in Sichuan Province 2018" and RMB 2 million fund support, with only three projects of medical apparatus and instruments in Sichuan Province receiving the special subsidy. The "Development for the 4th generation nanopore gene sequencer core microflow chip" developed by Geneus Technology won the above-mentioned support. The project targets at precision medicine, which, in biomedicine field, means an emerging method of disease prevention and treatment that takes into consideration gene, environment, and life habits. Gene sequencing is the cornerstone of precision medicine and can improve disease diagnosis and treatment, and the health of people.

Gene sequencing with "several hundred yuan, several drops of blood, and several hours"

To put it simply, human genetic code is like a book, and gene sequencing is needed to explain the book." Talking about gene sequencing, Su Yunpeng, Founder and CEO of Geneus Technology, said that Geneus Technology has embarked on the development of the 4th generation nanopore gene sequencer core microflow chip. The core component of the 4th generation nanopore gene sequencer is a microflow chip used to generate sequencing signals. As a typical, complex systematic project, the R&D of the chip involves protein chemistry, biological material, electronic material, micro electro mechanical system (MEMS), and other fields. The R&D of this type of chip has not yet matured even worldwide, and much remains to be done to improve accuracy, stability, life span, and other dimensions to meet market demand.

Up to date, the global mainstream sequencing is the second generation gene sequencing led by ILLUMINA, which accounts for some 80% market share. The second generation gene sequencing features large throughput and much lower price compared with the first generation. In the eyes of Su Yunpeng, the second generation gene sequencing still has many shortcomings, "First, the read length is too short. The book of human gene can be seen as a jigsaw puzzle, which consists of 6 billion pixels. The second generation gene sequencing needs to break down the jigsaw puzzle and read the fragments. Each fragment has only 150-300 pixels. It entails great difficulty and huge calculated amount to piece together the tens of millions fragments of jigsaw puzzle. What worth mentioning is that the complex genomes of human and other creatures contain structural defects and high-concentration GC sections, which cannot be successfully pieced together, causing incomplete puzzle, thus incapable of meeting the demands of most clinical applications." The second problem is the high cost. It costs about RMB 30 thousand to make a whole gene sequencing of a person, which is unaffordable for common people. That is why it has not been applied on a large scale.

"While the 4th generation nanopore gene sequencer can solve all those problems." Those industrial bottlenecks are all what Geneus Technology aims to solve by using the 4th generation nanopore gene sequencer. According to Su Yunpeng, Geneus Technology envisions to realize gene sequencing with "several hundred yuan, several drops of blood, and several hours" in precision medicine field. "Several hundred yuan" means low cost, and the price of human whole gene sequencing will be reduced to several hundred yuan; "several drops of blood" means that a few samples are enough, such as blood, body fluid, or tissue, to make gene sequencing; "several hours" means an easy way of testing, and clients can go to get testing and receive sequencing report within one day.

A bright market prospect, commercial products estimated to be launched in 2022

Gene sequencing first appeared in the 1990s. With the successful launch of Human Genome Project, global scientists spent billions of dollars in 15 years to decode the templates of the human genome. With the upgrade of sequencing technique, pharmaceutical giant Roche predicts that by 2025, the upstream and downstream market size of gene sequencing will exceed USD 600 billion.

Geneus Technology plans to roll out sequencing prototype with 8-16 channels by late 2018, industrial prototype with major functions meeting design needs in 2020, and products for market testing in 2021. After the launch of commercial sequencer, the company will gather information of the demands of targeted clients, and upgrade products based on clients' demands, and optimize properties and functions of equipment, and roll out commercial products in 2022. "It is estimated that after three years of the launch of commercial products, annual sales revenue can record RMB 1 billion, and the company is well-poised to break monopoly of European and American manufacturers in gene sequencing in domestic market."

According to sources, with the joint efforts of Geneus Technology team, "The development of the 4th generation nanopore gene sequencer core microflow chip" was approved as part of the Science & Technology Department of Sichuan Province's "Major Science and Technology Projects of Biotechnology and Medicine in Sichuan Province 2018" and won RMB 2 million of fund support. The special fund will mainly be used in biomaterial development, and taping out chip and testing," said Su Yunpeng, and the company is estimated to invest over RMB 7 million within in three years. "Winning the fund testifies to how assessment experts recognize our technical strength, team strength, and project prospect. We will work to develop the 4th generation nanopore gene sequencer core microflow chip with superb performance, and fully master and update the core manufacturing technology of chips".

Chengdu Hi-tech Zone empowers the incubation of biomedicine industry

Cherishing the dream that everyone can afford to a gene sequencer, one year ago, a few returned doctors from America and their classmates came to Chengdu Hi-tech Zone and found the present Geneus Technology. In October 2017, Geneus Technology signed a contract to settle down in Tianfu Life Science Park.

"All our founders are Sichuan locals and we are willing to realize our dreams in our hometown." After making inspection in many localities, they finally chose to start a business in Chengdu and set up their company in Tianfu Life Science Park, Chengdu Hi-tech Zone. "We chose to settle down here not only because Chengdu is our hometown, but more importantly, we see the future of China's biomedicine here," said Su Yunpeng.

According to sources, Geneus Technology has received much policy support and help from the government of Chengdu Hi-tech Zone since it settled down here. The government of Chengdu Hi-tech Zone has offered Geneus Technology rent reduction and exemption of one year, and in the coming two years, it can enjoy an area of 800 square meters free of charge and capital support of RMB 5 million. What's more, the rich supporting industrial resources of biomedicine and chip design and processing will also support the company with help and R&D resources.