The Methuselah Foundation has funded one of the research groups interested in comparative studies of the genetics of longevity, helping them to obtain the resou

The Methuselah Foundation has funded one of the research groups interested in comparative studies of the genetics of longevity, helping them to obtain the resources to sequence bowhead whales. This is one of those lines of work that is next to impossible to get funding for from the normal institutional channels at the present time: https://www.mfoundation.org/work#bowhead-whale https://www.mfoundation.org/work#bowhead-whale ----------------- Given the declining costs of DNA sequencing, all kinds of research that used to be prohibitively expensive even a few years ago is now becoming possible. For example, we recently awarded a $10,000 research grant to Dr. Joao Pedro de Magelhaes at the University of Liverpool to sequence the genome of the bowhead whale in order to study mechanisms for longevity in this warm-blooded mammal whose lifespan is estimated at over 200 years. Not only are bowhead whales far longer-lived than humans, but their massive size means that they are likely to possess unique tumor suppression mechanisms. “These mechanisms for the longevity and resistance to aging-related diseases of bowhead whales are unknown,” says Dr. de Magelhaes, “but it is clear that in order to live so long, these animals must possess aging prevention mechanisms related to cancer, immunosenescence, neurodegenerative diseases, and cardiovascular and metabolic diseases." The bowhead whale study will be conducted at the state-of-the-art Liverpool Centre for Genomic Research and results will be made available to the research community.