JAX and Calico Apply Mouse Genetics to Aging

By Bio-IT World Staff

April 26, 2016 | The Jackson Laboratory (JAX) and Calico today announced a multi-year collaboration focused on applying mouse genetics to the study of aging.

Under the agreement, JAX and Calico will jointly develop and Calico will fund research projects that utilize the unique resources and expertise of JAX to study the genetics of health and longevity. These studies may identify genes that associate with healthy aging. Calico has the option to obtain exclusive rights to discoveries made in these collaborative projects.

“Aging is the most fundamental unsolved problem in biology, with tremendous implications for the health and well being of humans,” Gary Churchill, JAX professor and Karl Gunnar Johansson Chair, said. “In partnership with Calico, we are bringing a genetic approach to discovering the mechanisms of aging, with the goal of identifying interventions that can increase maximal life span and improve health in late life.”

Jackson Laboratory President and CEO Edison Liu, M.D., noted, “Aging is a key factor in most deadly diseases, including cancer, heart disease, kidney disease and Alzheimer’s. A better understanding of the basic biology of aging will contribute to research in many fields. Calico is a premier organization dedicated to understanding the aging process. We are most excited about this collaboration.”

“The Jackson Laboratory is the world’s premier institution for conducting sophisticated mouse genetic studies and therefore the ideal collaborator for the advanced studies we have designed together,” commented David Botstein, Chief Scientific Officer of Calico and member of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences. “We are excited about the prospects for learning about mouse healthspan and lifespan in models potentially applicable to human aging.”