Thank you for joining ICG-17, Riga!
7 - 9 SEPTEMBER 2022
Riga, Latvia
ICG-17 news and highlights
    ABOUT ICG-17, Riga

    Over the last 17 years, the International Conference on Genomics (ICG) has been the meeting point for leaders in the emerging field of Genomics to meet and share their experience, knowledge, insights, and questions, to advance understanding and craft collaborations. An integral component of the International Conference on Genomics, ICG-17, Riga will bring together in Riga Latvia, high level scientists, practitioners and institutional executives from Europe and Africa and an international team of expert speakers under the theme OMICS FOR ALL to explore the leading edge in scientific areas. ICG-17, Riga will be a European branch event alongside the Annual International Conference of Genomics hosted in China, which will take place in the same week. In addition participants will be given an information rich tour of the new MGI facilities in Riga and the opportunity to meet the leaders of BGI/MGI Europe and Africa. The event will be both onsite and streamed for remote viewing.

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    ABOUT THE ORGANIZERS

    • MGI Tech Co., Ltd.
      MGI Tech Co., Ltd. (referred to as MGI) is committed to building core tools and technology to lead life science through intelligent innovation. With a focus on R&D, production and sales of DNA sequencing instruments, reagents, and related products, MGI provides real-time, panoramic, and full-life-cycle equipment and systems for precision medicine, precision agriculture, precision healthcare and other relevant industries. MGI is a leading producer of clinical high-throughput gene sequencers, and its multi-omics platforms include genetic sequencing, medical imaging, and laboratory automation.
    • BGI Genomics
      BGI Genomics is the world’s leading provider of genomic sequencing services and proteomic services, now serving customers in more than 100 countries. We provide academic institutions, pharmaceutical companies, health care providers, and other organizations with integrated genomic sequencing and proteomic services and solutions across a broad range of applications spanning:
      • Basic research covering human, plant, animal, and microbial species
      • Clinical research in human health
      • Genetic testing and screening
      • Drug discovery and development
      • Agriculture and Biodiversity preservation and sustainability
      We have more than 20 years of genomics experience helping our customers achieve their research goals by delivering rapid, high-quality results using a broad array of cost-effective, cutting-edge technologies, including our own innovative DNBseq™ sequencing technology.
    • Latvian Biomedical Research and Study Centre (BMC)
      Latvian Biomedical Research and Study Centre (BMC) is the leading scientific institute in molecular biology and biomedicine in Latvia. Since its establishment in 1993 it has evolved into a powerful scientific centre performing basic as well as applied research in three major directions: human genetics and disease mechanisms; cancer research; structural biology, and biotechnology virology. In the frame of Human genetics and disease research direction, BMC performs genetic, epigenetic, and microbiome research and studies the mechanisms associated with disease pathogenesis, detection of various biomarkers and development of molecular diagnostic tests. BMC also hosts the National Biobank, the Genome Database of Latvian Population (VIGDB), which includes more than 38,000 participants from the Latvian population and patients from various disease cohorts. This biobank serves as a key resource for increasing the volume of molecular research at BMC, as well as a base for medical innovation and integrated, functional research.​
    • BGI Research 
      BGI Research is one of the top ten basic research institutes in Shenzhen. After years of dedication in genomics research, BGI Research has become a world-leading research center. Focusing on developing gene reading, writing and storage technologies, and leading international big data and disease prevention mega-science programs, BGI Research aims to establish a comprehensive scientific research system covering bioinformatics, human genomics, agricultural genomics, microbiology, and marine biology. 
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    Riga, Latvia​

    Established in 1201, Riga is the capital city of Latvia and the largest and liveliest of the Baltic capitals. The city has developed as a center for trade, transit and industrial center, and has been famed for its beautiful Art Nouveau architecture. In the historical and geographical center of the Latvian capital, the Old Town in Riga is a popular entertainment district featuring cobble-stone streets, Medieval-era buildings and an abundance of architectural gems becoming a worldwide cultural landmark. Boasting of one of the highest concentration's of Art Nouveau structures in the world, rich history, buildings built in various architectural styles, modern art centers and experimental restaurants there are many reasons why Riga is a place that is well worth visiting.

    The ICG-17, Riga event will be hosted at the Park Inn by Radisson Riga Valdemara conference venue in Riga Old Town. The venue spans 305 square meters and offers additional breakaway meeting rooms, onsite hotel accommodation and restaurant for added comfort and flexibility during the conference. Located on the west bank of the Daugava River, close to the city center and many top attractions, the venue is only a 12-minute drive from Riga International Airport (RIX) and is 2 public transport stops from the UNESCO Heritage-listed Old Town, providing an opportunity to discover Riga's cultural attractions from a convenient city center base. The venue provides comfort in one of their 178 rooms to admire panoramic views of the Daugava River, Old Town, and city parks and on-site Bocca Buona restaurant which is ideal to indulge in flavorful, freshly-made specialties.

    CONFERENCE​
    The Park Inn by Radisson Riga Valdemara
    MGI Latvia

    The nerve center of MGI’s dedicated Europe & Africa R&D and customers service operations, MGI Latvia was inaugurated in November 2019, and today with a staff of over 60 scientific, technical and support professionals, acts as a dynamic hub for research and development, production, logistics and training to support MGI’s customers and scientific collaborator in Europe and Africa. MGI Latvia Sequencing Centre is an 8,000 sq meter technical facility and lab housing a comprehensive training and customer support center that ensure rapid response to the needs of Europe and Africa. In 2021, MGI Latvia was awarded the coveted ISO 13485 Standard and will soon inaugurate a sequencing kit manufacturing plant.

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    PROGRAMME

    · Global success stories and major projects and collaborations: how can research add value to the community;
    · Riga facility onsite visit.

    ICG-17: OMICS for all

    Understanding the complexity of genes functions requires spatially resolved gene expression profiling with single-cell resolution. Single-cell and Stereomics are new eras for genome research, that represent a major advance toward the systematic understanding of tissue complexity. In this session, we will discuss with leading scientists the advantages of stereomics and single-cell research and talk about their results and progress in single-cell analysis and stereomics. The agenda will include items about single-cell full-length RNA research using Oxford Nanopore devises and C4, Smart-seq automation and others.

    Spatially resolved gene expression profiling with single-cell resolution
    Leveraging multi-omics approaches and the promise of microbiome

    With the development and evolution in NGS studies for all the different omics fields, like genomics, metagenomics, transcriptomics and others, it is being recognized that understanding of mutually influencing processes might be possible with the integrated multi-omics approach. In this session we may discuss the novel metagenome associative research, multiomics insights into biological events, the need for a multi-ecosystem approach to microbiome studies, links between different omics areas and the mechanisms of action for different diseases.

    Globally multidisciplinary consortiums have been working proactively with local governments and leaders in the research community to mobilize a coordinated response to the global emergency caused by novel coronavirus COVID-19. Genomics in particular has allowed researchers to identify new variants, provide an understanding on how the virus spreads, unravel how the immune system responds, understanding of why some people appear minimally affected while others are severely impacted, and which pharmaceutical strategies might optimally help reduce the spread and alleviate symptoms for example. This has caused a global emergence in genomics approach to disease outbreaks and understanding of disease progression, including long COVID. In the session we may discuss the importance of the global emergence of genomics to fight outbreaks, discussing the real-time assessment of community transmission, focus on understanding long covid from scientific sessions and Covid-19 host genetic initiatives.

    Multidisciplinary view on COVID-19 research

    Biobanks provide an indispensable infrastructure for modern research with systematic collections of human biological materials, associated clinical and lifestyle data, and an accumulation of vast amounts of research findings, including participants’ genomic data. From a research perspective the interest in biobanking continues to intensify however many profound legal and ethical challenges remain unresolved. In this session we may discuss the role of biobanks and health data management in personalized medicine development through data safe havens, firsthand response from large Biobanks, and overall ethics surrounding science.

    Role of biobanks and health data in personalised medicine development

    Precision / Genomic medicine has helped to guide healthcare providers to diagnose rare genetic disorders, to monitor the threat of drug resistance, provide genetic contributions to a patient's health and susceptibility or resilience to disease, or their response to therapeutic interventions. As a result genome sequencing and research into the genomic changes associated with certain disease, including defining cancer types and subtypes for example, has shown a role to play in the future of healthcare and medicine by providing patients with a more precise diagnosis, and therefore a more personalized treatment strategy. In this session we may discuss personalized medicine developments, the international consortium for personalized medicine and project that aims to identify areas of mutual interest for the collaboration in health and PM research, the importance of genomics in oncology and others.

    Precision medicine: the future of healthcare

    Wednesday 7 September 2022
    Workshop Agenda Day 1: Hosted by BGI Group
    Thursday 8 September 2022
    Workshop Agenda Day 2: Hosted by BGI Group
    Friday 9 September 2022
    Workshop Agenda Day 3: Hosted by BMC
    Woman in science

    Session of women scientists brings together top women scientists in the field of life science and big data research, covering a wide range of fields of life science, including evolution, omics, cancer, complex diseases, reproductive health, technology development and bioinformatics.

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    ICG-17

    Meet our speakers: Prof. Jan Mulder, Karolinska Institute, Sweden

    ICG-17, Day 1.

    Under the session Spatially resolved gene expression profiling with single-cell resolution, Prof. Jan Mulder, Karolinska Institute, Sweden have shared  a comprehensive overview of "A multi-omics approach to study the molecular and cellular organization of the brain (in health and disease)"


    “The Human Protein Atlas (HPA) project aims to provide information about expression and distribution of all human proteins in all major organ and tissue types. The brain is among the most complex organs of the human body and HPA is using various antibody based and transcriptomics-based methods to provide users with information about their proteins or brain region of interest. This presentation gives an overview of the various approaches including bulk transcriptomics, spatial transcriptomics, immunofluorescence and IDISCO+ volume imaging and what was learned from these experiments. You can explore our data by clicking http://www.proteinatlas.org.” - Prof. Jan Mulder