Calico, an independent research and development company established by Google and Arthur D. Levinson, partnered with AncestryDNA to study the genetics of human lifespan or longevity.
Calico and AndcestryDNA agreed to evaluate together the anonymized data from millions of public family trees and a more than one million genetics samples. The companies did not disclose the financial terms of the partnership agreement.
AncestryDNA agreed to collaborate with Calico in studying the role of genetics, and its influences in families experiencing unusual longevity using its proprietary data bases, tools, and algorithms
Calico will concentrate on developing and commercializing any potential therapeutics based on the results of the study.
Opoortunity to find answers to questions related to longevity
In a statement, Ken Chahine, executive vice president and head of DNA and Health at AncestryDNA said, “We have laid the groundwork for this effort through the combination of an unmatched family history database, one of the fastest growing genetic databases, and a strong and talented team of computer scientists and professional genealogists.”
On the other hand, David Botstein, chief scientific officer at Calico said, “Our common experience suggests that there may be hereditary factors underlying longevity, but finding the genes responsible using standard techniques has proven elusive. This is an extraordinary opportunity to address a fundamental unanswered question in longevity research using high quality human pedigrees.”
Google invested hundreds of millions of dollars in Calico to control aging
In 2013, Google invested hundreds of millions of dollars in Calico to find and develop therapies to control aging and other health-related problems affecting people.
Google co-founder and CEO Larry Page described Calico as a company focused on health, well-being and longevity. The board of directors of Google approved the funding for Calico to study aging.
