NEW YORK (GenomeWeb) – AncestryDNA and Calico Life Sciences today said they will work together to unravel the role that genetics play in how long a person lives.
Using AncestryDNA's proprietary databases, tools, and algorithms, the partners will analyze anonymized data from millions of public family trees, as well as a growing database of more than 1 million genetic samples, in order to investigate the genetic underpinnings of families whose individuals live unusually long lives, they said.
After the genetic analysis has been completed, Calico will develop and commercialize any potential therapeutics resulting from the research. According to the firms, the research may identify common patterns in longevity and human heredity through pedigree data.
"Our common experience suggests that there may be hereditary factors underlying longevity, but finding the genes responsible using standard techniques has proven elusive," Calico CSO David Botstein said in a statement. "This is an extraordinary opportunity to address a fundamental unanswered question in longevity research using high-quality human pedigrees."
Financial and other terms of the deal were not disclosed.
AncestryDNA is the consumer genomics service of Ancestry.com, which last week introduced AncestryHealth, an online resource that allows users to gather family history information using their family trees.
Calico, headquartered in South San Francisco, California, focuses on longevity research and therapeutics.