OPEN PLATFORM: BGI has become an open platform for researchers from home and abroad to cooperate in genome and bioinformatics analysis projects (IC)

When Zhao was still a junior middle school student, he started an internship at the research institutes of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS). During his two-year internship, Zhao finished many experiments under the guidance of his tutor. He also got the chance to participate in the genetic code sequencing of the cucumber. Zhao coauthored a research paper that was published in the science journal Nature Genetics in November 2009.

On the recommendation of his tutor at the CAAS, Zhao began his internship at BGI during the summer vacation in 2009.

BGI is one of the largest genomic research centers in the world. The center has successfully completed a large number of projects such as sequencing the genes of a chicken, a strain of rice, the panda, the silkworm and the potato. BGI researchers also decoded the genome of the deadly E.coli bacteria that originated in Germany and 4,000-year-old human remains from Greenland.

The two-month internship at the CAAS impressed the young boy greatly. Zhao met a lot of excellent young scientists there and was deeply fascinated by the charm of genetic research.

In the meantime, Zhao's excellent performance during the internship also left a great impression on his colleagues. Li Yingrui, principal scientist of BGI, didn't pay any attention to the young intern at the beginning. Li sent a programming task to Zhao aiming to baffle the young boy. However, to Li's surprise, the young man solved the problem in less than a day. Li was totally shocked because the programming task was a major puzzle that his research team was facing. A problem that confused more than 1,000 excellent researchers was easily solved by a young boy. Since then, Li began to persuade Zhao to stay at BGI.

Zhao was inspired. He has made up his mind to stay there and quit school. "I want to make full use of my time to do something that I really want to do instead of preparing for the college entrance examination," said the young boy.

Zhao's decision worried his parents. They tried to convince Zhao to continue his studies. "If I attend university and then study abroad, I can only become a common graduate after five years. But I can learn enormous things and accumulate more experience here in BGI in five years," Zhao said. His parents eventually agreed with Zhao and supported his choice.

Zhao is Zhao

"I have no objection to the college entrance examination, though it is very boring. But I think I did a lot of meaningful and interesting things during the third year of my high school when my classmates were preparing for the exam," said Zhao.

Zhao knows clearly the risk of giving up the college entrance examination in a society that values credentials so much. But his boss Wang Jian has reminded him even Bill Gates and Jobs Steve did not complete their college studies.

After Zhao took a full-time job at BGI in 2009, Liu Pengzhi, Headmaster of the high school Zhao was with, nominated him to study at Peking University, but Zhao declined.

"The experience in BGI is so rare. I am in charge of the whole project from beginning to end. Even a PhD student could not have the chance during their entire postgraduate years. This experience is very precious for me," Zhao said.

"I am not opposed to going to university. University is a place different from high school, where you can learn what you are interested in," Zhao said.

BGI has cooperated with some universities in Hong Kong, so Zhao contacted some professors at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. Later, they introduced Zhao to the chancellor of that university. Zhao qualified for and enrolled in the university in 2010.

However, before Zhao agreed to become a student there, he asked the university to allow him not to seek a diploma, but only study the courses that he chose. They not only accepted his requirement but also granted him a scholarship.

It has been more than two years since Zhao entered the buildings of BGI. Even now, he still feels disbelief that there is a scientific research institution that provides researchers like him with such favorable conditions. "BGI is a very open platform, not only for me, but for all staff of BGI," Zhao said.

But as a young boy, Zhao also feels confused sometimes, "there are no researchers of my age around. It is both horrible and incredible."