BGI gets Research Partnership Award

HYDERABAD: Beijing Genomics Institute (BGI) has received the ICRISAT Research Partnership Award for 2011. The award was presented at a function held on Friday to mark the 39th Annual Day of the International Crops Research Institute for the SemiArid Tropics (ICRISAT). BGI, in partnership with ICRISAT, cracked the pigeonpea genome sequence, which will be of great importance in increasing its output. Pigeonpea is high in proteins.
Prof Gengyun Zhang, vicepresident of BGILife Sciences Division, said they were now moving towards sequencing chickpea genome. Zhang said he would be happy to continue collaboration with ICRISAT. ICRISAT's Doreen Margaret Mashier Award, ICRISAT Science Awards and Outstanding Scientist Award were also presented. ICRISAT directorgeneral William D Dar launched the website of Village Dynamics in South Asia Project.