The Global Biodata Coalition (GBC) announces that the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) has joined as a member on October 30, marking a significant step forward in establishing a collaborative global effort to secure a sustainable future for biodata infrastructure.

The Chinese Academy of Sciences is one of the world’s largest public research organizations and a key steward of major national biodata infrastructure. CAS’s research effort comprises over 100 research institutes and a broad portfolio of large-scale science facilities and field stations covering the full breadth of natural sciences.

GBC membership provides the opportunity to play a strategic role in shaping and driving biodata sustainability efforts. The GBC is supported by a grant from the European Union in addition to contributions from member organizations. CAS joins eleven other global life science funding organizations on the GBC Board of Funders which determines GBC’s activities and contributes to key policy, funding and access discussions.

CAS’s membership will play a key role in helping realize GBC’s mission of identifying a globally sustainable model for biodata funding and infrastructure, broadening the geographic diversity of perspectives within GBC and bringing important insight from one of the world’s leading contributors to global scientific research.

Scientific Head of the Global Biodata Coalition, Guy Cochrane, said: “We are delighted to welcome the Chinese Academy of Sciences to GBC’s membership. This new membership represents an opportunity to work more closely to assure globally integrated biodata and to bring the perspectives of Chinese researchers to the table."

Executive Head, Philippe Sanseau, said: “As well as representing an important moment of growth for the GBC, we hope that welcoming CAS will galvanise other funders from around the world to join the Coalition and support our mission.”

GBC membership also offers a valuable opportunity to explore new avenues of collaboration with China's world class research infrastructure, helping increase recognition and visibility of China’s biodata and boosting global research efforts.

SU Fenzhen, Deputy Director General of the CAS Bureau of Basic Capacity for Science and Technology, said: “I am pleased that the Chinese Academy of Sciences has joined the Global Biodata Coalition. This strengthens Asian representation and advances a sustainable, globally integrated biodata infrastructure. As one of the world’s largest public research organizations and a steward of major national biodata infrastructure, CAS will work through GBC’s Board of Funders on policy, funding and access discussions, and help realize GBC’s Strategy 2026–2030.”

YANG Yungui, Director of China National Center for Bioinformation (CNCB), CAS, said: “On behalf of CNCB, I welcome CAS’s GBC membership. CNCB and its National Genomics Data Center in CAS are committed to making China’s biodata resources sustainable, interoperable and globally accessible. China contributes major genomic, ecological and biomedical data, including NGDC’s Genome Sequence Archive—a GBC Global Core Biodata Resource. We look forward to deeper collaboration with GBC and its members.”

China has developed significant biodata resources, including those hosted by the National Genomics Data Center at the China National Center for Bioinformation and other major repositories.

Chinese research institutions contribute vast amounts of genomic, ecological, and biomedical data to the global biodata infrastructure, representing a critical contribution to science and research. For example, China’s national BIG Data Center (established in 2016) developed the Genome Sequence Archive (listed as a Global Core Biodata Resource by the GBC) which held more than 110 petabytes of data as of September 2026.

Additionally, the GBC’s Biodata Resource Inventory identified over 600 databases funded by China as well as more than 1,000 data resources that have been contributed to by Chinese scientists.

As part of its 2026-2030 strategy, GBC will work actively to engage further national funders across the world.

About the Global Biodata Coalition

The Global Biodata Coalition (GBC) convenes the world’s research funders to exchange knowledge and share strategies for supporting biodata resources. It provides a discussion forum for funders and managers of data resources, with the aim of developing principles and models for the coordinated sustainability of global biodata resources.

GBC 2026-2030 is funded by the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under grant agreement number 101260366. GBC activities are further supported by contributions made by its Member Funder organisations.