An Alternative Life

By YU LINTAO

An Alternative Life

By YU LINTAO

Young genius left school to pursue genetic code analysis

University students are expected to enjoy campus life. But for more than one year, 19-year-old Zhao Bowen has assumed the leadership of a research team probing one of the world’s toughest problems—the genetic basis for human IQ.

In 2009, Zhao, still a student in his third year at the High School Affliated to Renmin University of China, made a decision which would make a huge difference in his life. He decided to quit school and give up the college entrance examination. He made up his mind to join the Beijing Genomics Institute (BGI) in Shenzhen, China’s largest genome and bioinformatics analysis center, to be a full-time researcher to engage in the worldchanging project of genetic code analysis.

Precocious talent

On June 28, 2010, The Washington Post reported, “Centuries after it led the world in technological prowess—think gunpowder, irrigation and the printed word—China has barged back into the ranks of the great powers in science. With the brashness of a teenager, in some cases literally, China’s scientists and inventors are driving a resurgence in potentially world-changing research.” The teenager here mentioned is Zhao.

The childish-looking Zhao, who was dubbed “China’s Bill Gates” by his boss Wang Jian, President of BGI, is now the leader of the genome analysis of human cognitive ability. Since 2010 he has led a research team comprised of more than 20 domestic and foreign experts in mathematics, physics and psychology to study how the genome has infuenced intellectual differences in humans. Now his team is sampling 1,000 Chinese students with above average IQs, 145 and above, and comparing their genomes with those of an equal number of randomly picked ordinary students.

Zhao’s team began operation in the middle of 2010. After The Washington Post report, Zhao and his project aroused the interest of many scientists, professors and research fellows from both China and abroad. They contacted Zhao and showed their willingness to join the project. “I was so surprised. I never thought my project was so attractive,” Zhao said. Some have become full-time researchers on the project while others have worked part-time for the project. In addition, several U.S. research groups have also contacted him for collaboration.

Zhao is not only responsible for the scientifc research but also handles administrative affairs such as signing contracts with partners and contacting government organs. In addition, because the researchers are located around the world, Zhao’s main task is coordinating the whole project. He organizes telephone conferences or Internet meetings at regular intervals to make sure the team stays focused.

All team members are under the command of the 19-year-old boy. But Zhao doesn’t feel too much pressure. “The reason why they all follow my orders is that I get the money. All research funds are under my control,” Zhao said jokingly.

Unconventional boy

Zhao was different from his peers from childhood. His way of doing things, in adults’ eyes, was always seen as unusual and unconventional.

Zhao is fascinated with scientific research, but he never participates in scientifc contests. He said he doesn’t want to prove himself through awards or certifcates. Zhao is also a good piano player. However, he said, “It is not a kind of specialty. It’s just my hobby and my way of relaxing.”

When asked about his incredible decision to quit school two years ago, Zhao felt relaxed and said with a smile that he is an unconventional student, so he chose an alternative life.

Zhao Bowen

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 fnished 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 NatureGenetics 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 fve years. But I can learn enormous things and accumulate more experience here in BGI in fve 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 qualifed 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 scientifc 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.”

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