146. Pump It Up: Benji Leibowitz on DAO-ing Science Differently

Sep 12, 2025

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In this episode of Grow Everything, hosts Karl Schmieder and Erum Azeez talk with Benji Leibowitz, Co-Founder of Pump Science, about what it really means to be “DAO-ing science differently.” From the early days of Molecule DAO to today’s crypto-native platform for funding longevity and nootropics research, Benji explains how decentralized science (DeSci) can rebuild healthcare and biotech from the ground up. By combining bonding curves, tokenized IP, and radical transparency with live-streamed worm and fly experiments, Pump Science is transforming science into an attention game that’s fast, fun, and open to everyone. Tune in to hear how DAO-driven models are unlocking underfunded areas like longevity, attracting crypto investors, and creating a new culture where research is not only transparent but also entertaining.

Grow Everything brings the bioeconomy to life. Hosts Karl Schmieder and Erum Azeez Khan share stories and interview the leaders and influencers changing the world by growing everything. Biology is the oldest technology. And it can be engineered. What are we growing?

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Chapters:

(00:00:00) Welcome to the Grow Everything Podcast
(00:00:49) Proposed U.S. budget cuts to research
(00:01:59) How jargon fuels skepticism in science
(00:02:25) China's bioeconomy surpassing U.S. in biotech investment
(00:04:31) Rising gut imbalance in infants: My Baby Biome study
(00:06:35) Billionaires investing heavily in longevity research
(00:08:21) Wishing for more entertaining "fun" billionaires
(00:10:26) Meet Benji
(00:13:07) Rebuilding healthcare and biotech from scratch (DeSci)
(00:15:15) From tokenizing biotech IP to Pump Science’s new model
(00:18:09) Focusing on longevity to attract crypto investors
(00:23:56) Optimizing experiments with C. elegans worms
(00:27:47) A high-velocity "casino" model backed by real IP
(00:33:18) Launching compound tokens on a bonding curve
(00:36:36) Funding research through small trading fees
(00:40:34) Gamifying research: rewarding top-performing compounds ("King of the Pill")
(00:43:23) Using live streams for trust and funding transparency (DeSci)
(00:46:35) "Fly races" as entertainment and a longevity indicator
(00:48:56) Excitement for performance enhancement and nootropics (Pump Science)
(00:50:14) Rapid-fire guest Q&A
(00:51:32) Advice for newcomers to Pump Science
(00:53:06) Reflecting on the guest's model for funding science
(00:55:31) DeSci’s potential to build a parallel healthcare system

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Topics Covered:

Decentralized science, DAO, longevity, open science, crypto science

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