Brisbane, Australia, 29 July 2021 – MGI, a global life-science technology innovator, has opened the MGI Australia Demonstration Laboratory (Demo Lab) to support users across the Asia-Pacific region (APAC). The lab gives researchers access to MGI’s full technology portfolio — including DNBSEQ* sequencing platforms, laboratory automation systems, and bioinformatics tools — for application development, technology assessment, and hands-on technical support.
MGI Australia will also launch a $100,000 grant program for APAC scientists in August.
The Demo Lab serves as a central customer support hub, providing troubleshooting, technology trials, validation studies, proof-of-concept work, and broader technical support for MGI platform users. Incorporated in February, MGI Australia is committed to advancing life-science innovation and delivering high-performance technology to scientists and healthcare professionals across Australia and New Zealand.
Dr. Bicheng Yang, Director of MGI Australia, notes that “the Demo Lab also functions as an R&D center to drive innovative application development with a strong regional focus.”
The facility showcases MGI’s proprietary platforms covering the full genome-sequencing workflow — including ultra-high, high, and medium-throughput DNBSEQ* sequencers, automated laboratory systems, and bioinformatics products. These technologies strengthen local technical capabilities and help regional users accelerate research.
MGI’s DNBSEQ™ technology offers low amplification error rates, high-density patterned arrays, strong SNP and indel accuracy, and low index hopping. The Demo Lab houses MGI’s most powerful sequencer to date, the DNBSEQ-T7* — a flexible production-scale platform capable of delivering up to 60 whole human genomes per day while significantly reducing sequencing costs. The DNBSEQ-G400* and DNBSEQ-G50* platforms support varying throughput demands and budgets.
MGI’s automated laboratory systems streamline the most labor-intensive steps in sequencing workflows — including sample preparation, DNA/RNA extraction, and liquid handling. The Demo Lab includes flagship instruments such as the MGISP-960 High-throughput Automated Sample Preparation System, MGISP-NE32 Automated Nucleic Acid Extractor, and MGISTP-3000 Benchtop Automated Sample Transfer System. These systems have played a key role in global pandemic response efforts, including in Australia, by enabling fast, high-volume COVID-19 testing.
MGI Australia has a strong local technical team of operations managers, field application scientists, and engineers who provide on-the-ground support to customers. The team has already deployed more than 70 advanced systems across the region, strengthening local sequencing capacity. The upcoming $100,000 grant program — open to all APAC researchers — will be announced in August. Interested researchers can join the mailing list for updates.
Since its founding in 2016, MGI has independently developed a broad range of patented technologies across sequencing*, patterned arrays, fluidics, and opto-electromechanics. The company has filed more than 140 valid PCT patent applications globally. The DNBSEQ™ sequencing* platform is widely recognized in the scientific community, with over 1,600 publications and more than 40 petabytes of data generated worldwide.
With a firm commitment to R&D investment, MGI continues to push the boundaries of global genome sequencing, delivering innovation, quality, and cost-effective performance to its users.
