What’s your secret centenarians?
Up to five Australians aged 105 or older are likely to be included in a worldwide sample of exceptionally long-lived people whose genomes will be sequenced and published, kick-starting a new phase in DNA research. The Archon Genomics X Prize competition is offering $US10 million to teams of scientists that analyse the genomes of 100 centenarians.
Up to five Australians aged 105 or older are likely to be included in a worldwide sample of exceptionally long-lived people whose genomes will be sequenced and published, kick-starting a new phase in DNA research.
The Archon Genomics X Prize competition, which starts next January, is offering $US10 million to teams of scientists that analyse the genomes of 100 centenarians.
Dr Charlene Levitan, the leader of the Sydney centenarian study at the University of NSW, said genetic inheritance accounted for one-third of the likelihood of living to extreme old age; with diet, particularly consumption of omega-3 fatty acids, and lifestyle and psychological characteristics contributing.
According to The Sydney Morning Herald , among the Sydney study’s 270 participants, 15 met the criterion of being 105 or older.
The project will focus on centenarians because their genomes may be especially valuable, says Dr Levitan.
The centenarians chosen will come from many countries to maximise the diversity of blood samples from which “immortalised cell lines” will be extracted.
The DNA will then be distributed to researchers who must complete the project in 30 days and spend no more than $1,000 per individual genome.
