In this Optispan podcast episode, Dr. Matt Kaeberlein hosts Dr. Ben Blue, CEO of Ora Biomedical, to discuss breakthroughs in longevity drug discovery. They explore why the field needs large-scale, unbiased screening of new molecules, how Ora’s “WormBot” platform is reshaping longevity science, and how discoveries might extend beyond lifespan—into radiation resistance, toxin resilience, and even space travel.

Key Points:

Ora Biomedical is pioneering high-throughput discovery of new longevity drugs, using automated worm lifespan screening at unprecedented scale. Early findings already reveal molecules that outperform rapamycin and boost stress resistance, with implications from medicine to space travel. The Million Molecule Challenge, if funded, could revolutionize aging biology and unlock transformative therapies across health, resilience, and human longevity.

• The Longevity Field Has Been Too Narrow: The field has focused for years on a few established “hallmarks of aging” and a handful of molecules, limiting new discoveries. Ora aims to reopen exploration into vast chemical space that has never been tested for lifespan effects.
• Ora’s WormBot Allows High-Throughput, In-Vivo Screening: Using C. elegans worms, which live ~3 weeks, Ora can run ~1,000 lifespan experiments per month. All experiments include replicate testing, automated imaging, and AI-based analysis—producing rigorous, traceable “ground truth” datasets.
• The Million Molecule Challenge Could Transform Aging Biology: A proposal to systematically test 1,000,000 molecules for effects on lifespan (~$5M needed). Would create the world’s largest, highest-quality longevity dataset and finally enable true AI-driven drug discovery.
• Early Discoveries Already Outperform Rapamycin: Even with <10,000 interventions tested, Ora found molecules extending worm lifespan by up to 60%, some superior to rapamycin, still considered the best-known longevity drug. Novel mTOR inhibitors from community-funded screens also show stronger lifespan benefits than rapamycin.
• Combinatorial Screens Reveal Surprising Synergies & Dangers: Combining two drugs can produce positive synergy, no effect, or even negative interactions, echoing concerns about supplement “stacks” used without evidence. Unexpected hits include both beneficial compounds and extreme lifespan killers (e.g., ivermectin obliterating lifespan—consistent with its anti-worm action).
• Longevity Drugs Also Improve Stress & Toxin Resilience: Many lifespan-extending compounds make worms more resistant to stressors such as UV radiation, oxidative damage, and neurotoxins. This opens therapeutic pathways in: radiation resistance for cancer patients, occupational toxin exposure (farm workers, first responders), military and aerospace health, and long-duration spaceflight.
• Radiation Resistance for Space & Medicine: A New Frontier: Ora screened for molecules that protect against radiation damage—a critical need for astronauts and pilots. Some longevity compounds reduce DNA damage after UV exposure and are now being advanced into in vitro and next mouse model studies.
• Long-term vision: enabling healthier humans in space and improving recovery after radiotherapy on Earth.