AncestryDNA, Calico team-up to research the genetics of human lifespan

AncestryDNA

AncestryDNA is teaming-up with Google-backed Calico to investigate human heredity of lifespan by evaluating anonymized data from millions of public family trees and a growing database of over one million genetic samples.

The two parties will be looking into the role of genetics and its influences in families experiencing unusual longevity using Ancestry’s proprietary databases, tools and algorithms. Calico will then focus its efforts to develop and commercialize any potential therapeutics that emerge from the analysis.

“On the heels of our AncestryHealth launch and our one million genotyped customers milestone for AncestryDNA, we’re excited to announce this collaboration with Calico to research and develop life changing solutions,” said Ken Chahine, Executive Vice President and Head of DNA and Health. “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.”

The extensive research period is looking to identify common patterns in longevity and human heredity through pedigree data. According to David Botstein, Calico’s Chief Scientific Officer and member of the US National Academy of Sciences, this is an “extraordinary opportunity to address a fundamental unanswered question in longevity research using high quality human pedigrees.”