On February 5, the Huo-Yan Laboratory, an emergency test laboratory runby BGI and designed to handle 10,000 samples daily to detect 2019-nCoV,officially started trial operation in Wuhan.

The lab will greatly increase the speed of testing novelcoronavirus cases  so that suspectedinfections can be eliminated or confirmed as soon as possible.

The Huo-Yan laboratory was jointly established by the Wuhan Municipal Government, WuhanEast Lake High-Tech Development Zone, CCCC Second HarborEngineering Company, Shanghai Nori Laboratory Equipment Co., and BGI. The East Lake High-TechDevelopment Zone provided the site, BGI led the design and operation, the SecondHarbor Engineering Company led the construction, and Shanghai Nori provided alarge amount of laboratory equipment.

Overcoming the 2019-nCoV epidemic requires rapid and accuratedetection and diagnosis. Precise nucleic acid testing is an important basis forclinical diagnosis and discharge of recovered patients, as well as endingisolation of contacts. The laboratory will provide scientific support for thedetection of suspected cases and the examination of high-risk populations, and helprelieve the worry and panic among the community.

The 2,000-square-meter laboratory includes 1,000 square meters oftesting laboratory area strictly designed as a P2 laboratory (Second Level ofBiosafety) and equipped with high-throughput sequencing equipment manufacturedby MGI. It also has 30 B2 biological safety cabinets, a series of 12 automatednucleic acid extraction platform, separate sample preparation rooms, reagentstorage rooms and office areas.

On January 29, the East Lake District Government of Wuhan respondedquickly and implemented the site support provided by the East Lake High-Tech Development Zone. BGI collaboratedwith the Second HarborEngineering Company to complete the laboratory site survey. On January 30, BGI completedthe design of the laboratory, and the Second Harbor Engineering Company officially launched thelaboratory construction on January 31. With the voluntary work of 279 employeesfrom Second Harbor and Shanghai Nori in an all-out push, the main laboratoryconstruction was completed in just five days.

The Huo-Yan Laboratory will provide sufficient testing capabilities forWuhan and surrounding cities, and provide support for the diagnosis ofpatients, the screening of high-risk groups, the identification of suspectedcases, the isolation of positive infections, and the protection of healthypeople.

The laboratory also received instrument donations from Xi'an TianlongTechnology Co. and Tiangen Biochemical Technology (Beijing) Co., a donation of2 million yuan from the Henan Youth Development Foundation (for clinicaltesting and related research and development) and a donation of 1 million yuan fromIDG Capital for laboratory construction.

BGI and the CCCC Second Harbor Engineering Company teams at theinauguration ceremony of the Huo-Yan Laboratory inWuhan

(Photocourtesy of China Communications Second Harbor Engineering Co., Ltd., photo byLi Anhui)

(Photocourtesy of China Communications Second Harbor Engineering Co., Ltd., photo byLi Anhui)