CHICAGO, IL, UNITED STATES, October 7, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — Igenbio is proud to announce its role in a new study of Jonathan, the famous Aldabra giant tortoise whose extraordinary lifespan has fascinated people around the world. The research suggests that Jonathan’s genes, and the way they are switched on and off, may help explain how he has lived so long.
“Igenbio is proud to contribute to sequence analysis and annotations and in this study,” said Vinayak Kapatral Ph.D., President CEO of Igenbio. “Igenbio’s team’s deep analysis and computational approaches are crucial to the study.”
By reading Jonathan’s genetic code from start to finish, the research team found that he carries a number of unusual variations in genes that help keep DNA in good repair, protect the ends of chromosomes, clear out worn-out cell parts, manage blood sugar, power the cell, and guard against cancer. Scientists have long linked each of these processes to healthy aging, and Jonathan appears to have a distinctive genetic makeup in all of them.
The study also looked at epigenetics, chemical tags that act like dimmer switches, helping decide which genes are turned up, and which are turned down. Over the course of Jonathan’s life, these switches have become noisier across his genome, a pattern also seen in exceptionally long-lived people. In certain regions which guide development, energy production, DNA repair and cell identity the switches are less noisy. This lack of noise in these switches keeps the energy and repair systems working well, and may help slow the wear and tear that comes with age.
“Yes, our critical finding in Jonathan, was that he has been able to keep his mitochondria relatively young over the span of 194 years”, said Stephen Clark, MD, PhD, the paper’s senior and corresponding author.
Jonathan’s long life appears to owe much to how steadily his body keeps its key genes under control, especially the ones that power cells and process genetic instructions.
Vinayak Kapatral
Igenbio, inc
+1 312-733-8485
vinayak@igenbio.com
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