BGI collaborates with Nvidia on cloud DNA sequencing service

BGI, the world's largest genomics institute has announced that it will launch a new cloud-based service for next-generation sequencing (NGS) bioinformatics analysis cheaply within the cloud. The new cloud-based DNA sequencing service, dubbed "EasyGenomics," uses a hybrid computing system featuring both CPUs and Nvidia GPUs for added acceleration. The firm claims the service can cut DNA analysis from days to hours compared with CPU-only based systems. Nvidia added that its Tesla M2070 and M2075 GPUs were used in the system, in conjunction with system CPUs. The platform will be made suitable for use by biologists, bioinformaticists and, ultimately, physicians for developing better medicines and genetically enhanced food, and improve healthcare.

"By enabling larger numbers of researchers to accelerate DNA sequencing data more easily and affordably, we hope to help facilitate the use of genomics for clinical diagnostics as a practical component of health care, as well as for complex disease research," said Dr. Lin Fang, vice president at BGI. Fang added that GPU acceleration was helping scientists analyze DNA sequencing data faster and that the cloud based EasyGenomics system "could one day revolutionize genomics research."

BGI, based in Shenzhen, China, already has systems that perform genomic sequencing of a wide range of life forms-ranging from plants and E. coli to the giant panda. The firm said it planned to upgrade the EasyGenomics service with "hundreds" of additional Nvidia Tesla GPUs once the system was fully deployed, enabling it to support thousands of users.

Free trial of the system starts today for qualified biologists and bioinformaticists who apply on the company website.