The Optispan Podcast with Matt Kaeberlein New Discovery: This Molecule Could Beat Rapamycin in Longevity
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Nov 29, 2025 In this intriguing discussion, Dr. Ben Blue, CEO of Ora Biomedical and co-founder of the WormBot platform, shares insights into groundbreaking longevity research. He reveals how the Million Molecule Challenge aims to transform drug discovery for aging by identifying powerful new molecules. Notably, Dr. Blue discusses omipalisib, a molecule outperforming rapamycin, and the team's strategic pivot towards radiation resilience for space applications. They explore the significance of a data-driven approach and unexpected findings from their high-throughput screenings.
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Scale Enables Discovery Beyond Established Pathways
- High-throughput in vivo screens in C. elegans let you test many lifespan interventions quickly and reproducibly.\n- Matt Kaeberlein argues this approach can reveal effective compounds that target aging biology better than narrow, mechanism-first screens.
From Janky Prototype To Robust WormBot
- Ben Blue describes building early WormBot prototypes from makeshift kits and iterating to a robust automated platform.\n- He credits Jason Pitt's engineering roots and AI pipelines for enabling large-scale lifespan experiments.
Throughput With Replication Lowers Error Rates
- Each WormBot can test ~100 molecules per week with five replicates, enabling real statistical power at scale.\n- With nine WormBots Aura can run ~1,000 rigorous lifespan experiments per month, making million-scale screens feasible with funding.