Responding to the BDBV PHEIC:
MGI’s End-to-End Sequencing Solution for Border Health
Key Takeaways
Summary
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Tracking a Distinct Ebola Strain at the Border
The World Health Organization (WHO) recently declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) due to the Bundibugyo ebolavirus (BDBV) outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda. In response, the WHO has issued a technical note outlining temporary recommendations for States Parties that do not share land borders with the affected areas.
The objective is clear: strengthen border health and international travel measures to prevent cross-border transmission, while strictly avoiding unnecessary travel or trade restrictions. For customs, public health authorities, and laboratories worldwide, this raises a critical operational question—how do we rapidly identify and track the virus without creating logistical bottlenecks? To address this challenge, MGI has introduced a comprehensive Ebola Sequencing Solution powered by the ATOPlex Customized Platform.
This end-to-end workflow combines automated sample preparation systems, high-throughput sequencing platforms, and bioinformatics analysis software. By covering the entire journey from sample to report, it enables rapid, highly accurate sequencing of the Ebola virus, providing complete support for customs, public health authorities, and scientific research teams.
MGI's Ebola Sequencing Solution
The ATOPlex Fast Customised Series leverages an independently developed, core ultra-high multiplex PCR technology to deliver high-performance, highly flexible amplicon-based library preparation via customisable panels. These libraries are seamlessly compatible with mainstream DNBSEQ short-read and CycloneSEQ long-read sequencing platforms, accommodating diverse operational requirements across different application scenarios. Beyond outbreak response, this allows targeted sequencing to be deployed across public health, environmental monitoring, forensic science, food safety, agriculture, direct-to-consumer (DTC) testing, and other fields.
ATOPlex Fast Customised Series
For downstream data processing, MGI provides the ATOPlex Multiplex PCR Targeted Microbial Research Tool (ATOPlex MMRS), which is specifically optimized for ATOPlex multiplex PCR targeted sequencing data.
Key capabilities include:
- Dual-Data Support: Complete compatibility with both short-read and long-read data formats.
- Advanced Surveillance: Rapid identification, genome assembly, and source tracing of target microorganisms.
- Custom Strain Mapping: Flexible input functionality allowing users to upload specific reference genomes and primer sequences for newly emerging strains
Product Highlights
- ✓ Dual-Platform Compatibility: The ATOPlex Fast panel allows laboratories to choose freely between long-read and short-read sequencing solutions, fully accommodating diverse fieldwork and laboratory infrastructure requirements.
- ✓ Streamlined Library Preparation: The ATOPlex Fast library preparation kit completely eliminates the need for time-consuming end-repair and A-tailing steps, enabling adapter ligation in just 5 minutes. The entire workflow from raw RNA to finished library requires only 4 steps and 3 hours, and is natively compatible with MGI automation systems.
- ✓ Robust Bioinformatics Capabilities: Provides comprehensive, out-of-the-box support for data quality control, sequence alignment, variant detection, annotation, viral typing, and phylogenetic analysis to satisfy in-depth epidemiological research needs.
- ✓ Field-Proven Reliability: This targeted sequencing solution is built upon a mature technical framework extensively validated during multiple emerging public health events, including outbreaks of RSV, CHIKV, hMPV, PIV, and NiV, providing robust and dependable support for the current Ebola response.
During a PHEIC, time is the ultimate enemy. MGI’s Ebola Sequencing Solution turns the tables by putting rapid, accurate, and flexible genomic tools directly into the hands of frontline responders.
Published 5 June 2026
