In May 2003, BGI successfully sequenced the SARS virus in less than twenty hours, and developed an enzyme immunoassay test kit in 96 hours, and donated 300,000 test kits to the National SARS Management Office. When Chinese Premier Jintao Hu visited BGI, he highly acknowledged BGI’s contribution in fighting SARS,"(BGI) thinks for the Chinese government, cares about the urgent need to fight the disease, and delivers what the people need ".
