Teams entering the competition will separately work on genetic samples from the same 100 individuals, each of them over 100 years old. When the individual results are combined, X Prize Foundation organizers hope for what they call a "medical-grade" genome that may shed new light on why some people can live for a century in generally good health.

"What we're trying to isolate here is the real genetic reason for these individuals being able to live long lives and evade diseases that impair or kill millions of people much earlier in life," says Campany.

The X Prize Foundation is actively looking for people willing to contribute their DNA to the competition. They want a diverse group of healthy people 100 years old, or preferably older. The competition begins in January 2013.