(Yicai Global) March 13 -- Alibaba Group Holding's cloud c unit has opened a free database to help medical institutions around the world to improve their ability to detect dangerous and mutating viruses such as Covid-19.

Alibaba Cloud's Alibaba Genomics Service can comb through masses of genetic data in 60 seconds to present a diagnosis, The Paper reported today. Universities, public health institutions, and gene sequencing firms can apply for access.

Viruses tend to transform during outbreaks to spread more effectively, and Chinese researchers have suggested that the new coronavirus already has more than 140 mutations. But most tests scan only for one thing. This is why scientists have been developing more comprehensive testing technologies such as metagenomics next-generation sequencing. However, it has been taking mNGS at least 30 minutes to go through 22 million genetic matches to detect Covid-19.

Beijing-based genome center Annoroad Gene Technology has begun using AGS to compare Covid-19 with other types of diseases such as cancer to try to understand how the new coronavirus works. 

Alibaba Cloud will unleash all of its artificial intelligence computing power for public research institutions around the world to use for free to find ways to prevent and cure Covid-19, the Hangzhou-based company said in a statement on Jan. 29.

Editor: Emmi Laine