Google Seeks the Secret to Longevity

A biotechnology company owned by Google aims to uncover the secrets of youth and longevity! When Calico (California Life Science LLC) was founded in 2013, Larry Page, one of Google's co-founders, stated that our goal is to improve the lives of millions by utilizing biotechnology with a forward-looking perspective. Now, Calico is set to collaborate with Ancestry.com, a company specializing in ancestry and lineage identification through DNA, on a new project examining hereditary impacts on longevity. Ancestry.com, the largest private research company in the field of genetics, was established in 1983 in Utah, USA. They charge $99 to inform individuals about their roots and ancestry. After more than twenty years of operation, they now possess vast data on the genes of various individuals from around the globe. Google will not only have access to millions of DNA models from this company but will also be able to access customer family trees, birthplaces, times and causes of death, and those of their ancestors. Ken Chaine, the COO of Ancestry.com, states that if you have access to a collection of DNA from individuals with longer lifespans, you can study them to uncover the secrets of longevity. He believes that with over a million DNA samples now available, there is sufficient data to create drugs aimed at increasing lifespan. Chaine continues, 'Our shared experience indicates that hereditary factors may influence longevity, but we have yet to identify the gene responsible for this {longevity} with the standard techniques we employ.' Calico is not the only technology company interested in studying genes and individual health. 23andMe.com is another startup selling $99 kits for ancestry detection. They have also recently partnered with Pfizer, a pharmaceutical company, to develop new drugs based on DNA models. However, what benefit could private companies gain from longer human lifespans? Studies conducted in the US in 2014 show that individuals over 65 years old (the retirement age in the US) spend nearly three times more on healthcare services than those who are not yet retired. This means that the pharmaceutical world profits significantly more from older individuals!