BGI's International Conference on Genomics coming to the US Sept. 27-28 with high-powered roster of genomics industry lu

Global thought leaders devoted to the latest developments in human, plant and animal genome sciences will gather at ICG Americas 2012 in Philadelphia September 27-28. Co-organized by BGI, the world's largest genomics organization, and The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), ICG Americas will bring to the U.S. for the first time BGI's acclaimed International Conference on Genomics (ICG) held annually in China since 2006.

ICG Americas 2012 will feature presentations from prominent researchers, global industry luminaries and top policy makers on next-gen sequencing and advanced bioinformatics technologies, and their growing application in drug discovery and development, disease research, clinical diagnostics, agricultural breeding, and evolution and conservation. Included among the featured speakers will be directors, senior executives and CEOs from Merck, Pfizer, Sanofi, GSK, Illumina, Life Technologies, NHGRI, FDA, USDA, Harvard, UC Davis, and many more.

The conference, being held at CHOP, will include presentations from researchers applying today's latest technologies to a new paradigm of personalized medicine and to enhancing global food production, as well as current policy and ethical considerations relative to the use of genomic data. Included among the many compelling conference topics will be the power of evolving research approaches such as trans-omics, a technique that integrates genomics, transcriptomics, epigenomics, metagenomics, and proteomics.

Additional highlights of ICG Americas include a private tour of the new BGI@CHOP Joint Genome Center and an elegant evening of dining, networking with industry luminaries and live entertainment at the Penn Museum, known for its remarkable architecture and magnificent collection of archaeological and anthropological artifacts. Guests will have access to museum galleries and will be served a world-class dinner, prepared by Wolfgang Puck Catering, under a 90-foot-high Chinese rotunda.

"We are excited to present ICG Americas 2012, the first International Conference on Genomics in the Americas," stated Professor Huanming Yang, Chairman of BGI. "ICG Americas will feature prestigious research institutes and universities, industry luminaries and leading scientists from top pharmaceutical companies who will share their ground-breaking approaches to applying next-generation genome sequencing and bioinformatics to human, plant and animal research."

"The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia is honored to co-host ICG Americas with BGI and to provide the venue for this important conference on revolutionizing medicine and agriculture through next-gen sequencing and bioinformatics," said Hakon Hakonarson, M.D., Ph.D., Director of the Center for Applied Genomics at Children's Hospital.

Provided by BGI Shenzhen