From: Shenzhen Daily | Updated:2024-05-21
A scientific team from BGI, led by chairman and co-founder Wang Jian, reached the summit of Qomolangma, known as Mount Everest in the West, at 10:28 a.m. May 21 and sent the world’s first ultrasound image from “the top of the world.”
The team also captured electroencephalogram (EEG) data while on the peak.
This is the second time that Wang has reached the top of Qomolangma, and at the age of 70, he is the oldest person from China to have achieved this feat.
Their ascent was driven by scientific exploration and aimed to gather crucial data on the adaptive physiological mechanisms of the human body at extreme altitudes. The expedition also explored the composition of microorganisms on the mountain and documented ecological changes. The team’s observations may lead to breakthroughs and insights for future scientific and industrial development.
To support the research, the BGI Qomolangma Laboratory was established April 18 at the Shigatse Base Camp, which is at an elevation of 5,200 meters. The lab facilitated gene sequencing and the testing of wireless handheld ultrasound equipment at altitude, and it also received physiological and multi-omics data transmitted from the team.
On the peak, the wireless handheld ultrasound was used to obtain real-time images of the team members’ carotid arteries. The research marks the first time that EEG data on climbers’ resting state has been recorded at such an extreme altitude.
Combined with other scientific achievements in brain science, ophthalmology, plateau medicine, sports medicine, and related fields, the research aims to construct a comprehensive model of human health and life.
“In 2010, during our first ascent of Qomolangma, we discovered the altitude adaptability gene EPAS1. This time, we hope to deepen further our understanding of the spatiotemporal interactions between genes and the environment,” said Wang.
Over the past year, the BGI research team has scaled five mountains over 5,000 meters tall to conduct their research. In 2021, Wang led a team to the 10,000-meter-deep Mariana Trench, the deepest oceanic trench on Earth, for marine scientific exploration and genetic resource surveys.
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