Mark Zuckerberg co-sponsors $33 million prize to extend human life

(Credit: James Martin/CNET)

Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan, 2012's second-most generous donors, are lending their considerable social-network fortune to help extend human life.

The newly wed couple joins Google co-founder Sergey Brin and his wife Anne Wojcicki, along with famed venture capitalist Yuri Milner, as founding sponsors of the Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences, a substantial $3 million financial reward that will be doled out annually to 11 ambitious scientists working to cure complex diseases.

"Our society needs more heroes who are scientists, researchers and engineers," Facebook's chief executive wrote in a status update Wednesday morning. "We need to celebrate and reward the people who cure diseases, expand our understanding of humanity and work to improve people's lives."

Going forward, Zuckerberg and the philanthropic bunch have collectively agreed to establish five annual prizes, which will be administered by the non-profit Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences Foundation.

Wednesday, the first 11 award winners,... [Read more]