It's all in the genesIt's all in the genes

Researchers try to find the ‘Peres Gene’

Israeli scientists aim to crack the code that keeps the president youthful and focused

By Hillary Zaken 17 April 2012, 3:55 pm Edit

Former President Shimon Peres gives a DNA sample for research purposes at the GGA laboratory on Monday (photo credit: Yosef Avi Yair Engel/Flash90)

Israeli genetic researchers are planning to map the DNA of President Shimon Peres to discover which gene is responsible for what they call the president’s extraordinary longevity and mental clarity.

In hopes of finding what they have dubbed the “Shimon Peres Gene,” researchers in the GGA laboratory in the Golan Heights collected a saliva sample from the president on Monday.

Dr. Yoram Plotzky told Army Radio that it will take three months for the researchers to compile the full genome, and then the team will attempt to identify the particular sequence which is responsible for Peres’s unique qualities.

Peres, 88, reportedly agreed to the experiment without hesitation, telling the scientists, “The risk is yours.”