Five years after the project's approval, China's first national gene bank has opened in the southern city of Shenzhen. The world's largest gene pool consists of a biological information database, a specimen bank, and a living biological bank.

It is the world's fourth national-level gene bank after similar centers in the United States, Europe and Japan. However, unlike the other three, the Shenzhen gene bank not only produces data but also focuses on research and utilization. Established in 2011, the gene bank is expected to help protect and advance research in genetic resources, as well as boost China's genetics industry.