Dog Aging Project Data: A Resource for Scientists Worldwide

Our team is proud to announce a new publication in the journal Nature, a top tier peer-reviewed scientific journal. Released February 2, 2022, the manuscript, entitled “An Open Science Study of Ageing in Companion Dogs,” details the methodology of the project and describes the potential impact for both human and veterinary medicine.

Read the abstract:

The Dog Aging Project is a long-term longitudinal study of ageing in tens of thousands of companion dogs. The domestic dog is among the most variable mammal species in terms of morphology, behaviour, risk of age-related disease and life expectancy. Given that dogs share the human environment and have a sophisticated healthcare system but are much shorter lived than people, they offer a unique opportunity to identify the genetic, environmental and lifestyle factors associated with healthy lifespan. To take advantage of this opportunity, the Dog Aging Project will collect extensive survey data, environmental information, electronic veterinary medical records, genome-wide sequence information, clinicopathology and molecular phenotypes derived from blood cells, plasma and faecal samples. Here, we describe the specific goals and design of the Dog Aging Project and discuss the potential for this open- data, community science study to greatly enhance understanding of ageing in a genetically variable, socially relevant species living in a complex environment.

Read the full paper here

More information about the paper and its importance can be found in the accompanying press release.

The publication of this paper coincides with the first Curated Data Release to our data repository at Terra. We now have a process by which researchers around the world can request access to anonymized data collected by the Dog Aging Project. We are thrilled to introduce this incredible resource to the scientific community.

Chief Veterinary Officer Dr. Kate Creevy had this to say about the paper’s publication:

It is an honor to share our work with the scientific community. The Dog Aging Project is creating a resource with the power to transform veterinary medicine, aging research, and many scientific and non-scientific fields of inquiry. Publication of the methodology in Nature provides testament to the ambitious scope and wide applicability of the project.

As always, our deepest gratitude goes to the amazing dogs and their humans who are the heart and soul of the Dog Aging Project. Every day, our team gets to work with dedicated dog lovers and committed community scientists. Together we make the magic—or in this case, the science—happen!