BGI

http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2013-02-07/bgis-young-chinese-scientists-will-map-any-genome

In agriculture, BGI is mapping genome sequences it considers proprietary and using them to engineer superior strains of rice, millet, and even fish. 
 
The company changed its name from Beijing Genomics Institute to BGI Shenzhen and moved to the shoe factory. 

In 2011, BGI reported revenue of 1.2 billion yuan. Many projects the company takes on reflect this policy of for-profit science. 

BGI’s footprint is expanding. It recently received approval from the U.S. government to acquire its biggest competitor, Mountain View (Calif.)-based Complete Genomics (GNOM), which also provides commercial DNA sequencing 

Complete Genomics will extend BGI’s reach, not only in terms of customers and sequencing power, but also in terms of data storage. Complete Genomics has established its own database of genetic information, complementing BGI’s efforts to build a cloud computing platform capable of holding large amounts of genomic data. 

Companies that offer personalized genetic testing, such as 23andMe, typically test only for a sampling of 100 traits and diseases, or about 1/3,000th of the entire genome, Church says. For about $4,000, BGI does the whole thing. 

“You’re looking for variants or parts of the genome that are hard to map,” he says. Computer programs have difficulty identifying a new variation unless a spot on the genome has already been pinpointed and entered into the computer program. 

“It’s my belief that science has no limits.”