I would apply an L1-regularized regression where the variables are simple 0-1 for the presence of the gene. The L1-regularization helps you deal with the high-d

I would apply an L1-regularized regression where the variables are simple 0-1 for the presence of the gene. The L1-regularization helps you deal with the high-dimensionality of the problem. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lasso_(statistics) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lasso_(statistics) Since these are ages, I wouldn't assume an underlying Gaussian distribution. Making that change isn't as hard as you think. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Generalized_linear_model https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Generalized_linear_model As Always: Consult your friendly neighborhood statistician