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DeSci accelerated at lightspeed in 2024. Now, we are about to hit hyperdrive by bringing together two of the fastest-growing projects in DeSci on Solana. 

Over the past few months, we have watched with excitement as BIO Protocol continued to put DeSci on the map — raising $45M in ETH and BioDAO tokens during BIO Genesis, securing strategic funding from Binance Labs, and readying the next wave of BioDAOs focused on chronically underfunded areas like Long COVID, Quantum Biology, and rare diseases. They've shown that decentralized communities of patients and researchers can unite onchain to advance early-stage R&D.

Meanwhile, we have been pushing boundaries with pump.science: turning longevity research into a spectator sport. By letting anyone speculate (speculator sports?) on longevity experiments, we've shown how memecoin tokenomics can be channeled to fund scientific research. In the first two months, pump.science has launched two compound tokens, streamed four experiments, and seen the first two tokens ($RIF and $URO) reach a combined market cap of $350M with over $1.5B in trading volume — showing the world the true power of stadium science.

Today, we're combining BIO’s BioDAO engine with pump.science’s experimental energy to hit hyperdrive, backed by three initiatives that will accelerate DeSci on Solana:

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Our Commitment to DeSci on Solana

Strategic Partnership: BIO x pump.science

What happens when you combine BIO’s proven DAO machine with pump.science’s experiment protocol? Magic. We are looking at ways that BioDAOs can leverage pump.science for each of their research areas.

First up, pump.science is planning a collaboration with VitaDAO in early 2025 to stream longevity compounds submitted as part of the Longevity Prize and develop them into supplements, right on the platform. This will create a playbook for BioDAOs in the BIO Network to leverage pump.science for testing and validating IP in a transparent, community-driven way.

Ecosystem Support: Launching the DeSci Ecosystem Grant Program

We are supporters of BIO's vision, and now we’re doubling down. Using half (166M BIO) of Molecule’s BIO allocation, we will be establishing a DeSci Ecosystem Grant Program. 

The fund will accelerate bringing scientific IP onchain by supporting community-driven initiatives. By empowering researchers and funders to submit and fund new research ideas, the DeSci Ecosystem Grant Program will fuel breakthrough science and sustainable ecosystem growth.

Community Alignment: Backing Our Vision

Announced at Solana Breakpoint 2024, Molecule launched pump.science. At launch, Molecule chose not to purchase any tokens ($RIF and $URO) in the spirit of the tokens being initially fully community-owned. To reaffirm our commitment to pump.science and the success of $RIF and $URO, we purchased $100k each in RIF and URO tokens. These purchases have recently been executed, and we are excited to be $RIF and $URO holders alongside the passionate pump.science and Solana DeSci communities.

What This Enables

By combining BIO’s proven model for BioDAO formation, pump.science’s experimentation engine and Molecule’s ecosystem support, you get the perfect recipe for hyperdrive acceleration that:

• Unites BIO and pump.science communities
• Powers BIO’s multichain expansion onto Solana
• Integrates with Molecule’s IP protocol to bring more scientific IP onchain
• Supercharges BioDAO growth on Solana

This isn’t your old school science— this is research at Solana speeds. In 2025, BIO, Molecule, and pump.science are taking DeSci nuclear.

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What is longevity research? 

In a recent episode of The DeSci Podcast, we welcomed Krister Kauppi, founder Rapamycin Longevity Lab, and Dr Mitchell Lee, CEO and co-founder at Ora Biomedical. The conversation focused on two major themes: how to accelerate research in the longevity space and the potential of gamification and decentralized incentives to push longevity research forward.

Longevity, in its simplest form, refers to extending human healthspan — the period of life spent in good health. While much of modern medicine is focused on treating ailments, longevity research aims to target the root causes of aging. Traditional research is expensive, bureaucratic, and slow-moving in the best of circumstances, and this is particularly true in the longevity field. With people dying from old age every single day this slow rate of progress just won’t cut it. 

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The Wormbot

Enter Ora Biomedical and the Wormbot. The Wormbot is a low-cost, rapid experimental platform developed by Ora Biomedical, founded by Dr. Matt Kaeberlein and Dr. Mitchell Lee to inexpensively and efficiently test a large number of potential longevity regimens on C. elegans, a worm with an average lifespan of 20 days. This robotic system performs automatic population-level imaging, capturing worm survival, movement, interactions, and more on a scale that is exponentially larger than other labs,

“A single one of our worm bot platforms does the work of about five full-time research scientists.” Dr Mitchell Lee

When it comes to testing anti-aging compounds, there is a concept known as the ‘Longevity Trilema’ - systems need to be fast enough for multiple iterations, cheap enough to test many variations, and high quality enough that the data gathered is relevant. Given the Wormbot 20-day turnaround time, $100-per-run price tag, and the choice to use C.elegans, we’d say that the Wormbot solves the longevity trilemma.  Additionally, traditional science often follows a "one molecule" approach, testing a single compound from start to finish, which can take up to 15 years. In practice, however, we often end up using medications in combination, and these combinations can have both positive and negative effects. One of the exciting aspects of Wormbot is its ability to test various longevity "cocktails" efficiently.

“Our goal is to facilitate finding the best breakthrough, game-changing, disruptive interventions that extend healthy lifespan and fight the diseases associated with aging all at the same time.” Dr Mitchell Lee

Why choose to work on worms? 

Worms are actually able to tell us more than you think - 40% of their proteins are similar to ours. Interestingly enough the Nobel Prize for Medicine in 2024 was granted to two researchers for their work on C.elegans, because the model organism was responsible for driving forward so many developments in healthcare. They are by no means a perfect match for humans, but they’re an excellent starting point for basic research. 

“At the end of the day, the things that drive aging are so highly evolutionarily conserved that the same things that drive aging in a worm drive aging in a human, in a companion pet, in a mouse.” Dr Mitchell Lee

Democratizing Science 

DeSci is a movement that leverages blockchain technology and decentralized networks to fund and coordinate scientific research. The concept rests on the idea of democratizing science — allowing anyone with an internet connection to contribute ideas, resources, and data to scientific experiments. This model is seen as a way to break free from the limitations of traditional funding systems and push the field forward faster. Additionally, DeSci allows for the creation of more open, transparent, and collaborative research models.

A core belief of Decentralized Science (DeSci) is that science should be accessible, with minimal barriers to participation and contribution. This belief is shared by the team at Ora Biomedical. They have launched the Million Molecule Challenge, where anyone in the world can choose to get involved in longevity research. 

“You can propose an idea and have an intervention tested. In terms of the enthusiasm and interest, this is really where we're seeing this incredibly exciting signal. People want to participate in science. They want to have this process demystified. They are not excited with the slow rate of progress that we're seeing. And there is an opportunity with our system to actually take the lead, accelerate, grab the reins of science. Let us be your scientific team, and we'll test your ideas. 

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At Molecule we’re big fans of the ‘hive-mind’ concept - the upside to sourcing ideas from a varied range of people is the ability to discover novel answers you never would’ve reached by yourself. 

“The interventions that have been sponsored by Citizen Science and the Million Molecule Challenge, I never would have thought to test. Nobody else on my team would have thought to test. People are bringing ideas and insights to the table that we would not have prioritized. So your ideas are important, critical, and this is a place for you to vet those hypotheses.” Dr Mitchell Lee

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Pump.science

We recently announced the vision for Pump Science at Solana Breakpoint:to create    focused on longevity compounds with the support of Ora Biomedical’s Wormbot. The ultimate goal of Pump.science is to  let anyone submit longevity regimen ideas (drug strategies) to be tested on the Wormbot (and soon - other experiments), own the intellectual property (IP), and stream the experiment results.

Here's how it will work:

1. Submit a regimen idea or back someone else's by buying tokens
2. Once the regimen reaches a certain market cap, the Wormbot experiment is run
3. Watch the experiment data stream as the regimen is tested on real worms
4. Buy tokens if you think the compounds can extend life and the regimen is valuable

The goal? Predict which treatments extend human lifespan.

To date, two compounds have launched on Pump Science (Rifampicin and Urolithin A). More compounds and additional experiement types will be launching soon. Follow Pump Science on X or join the Telegram for updates. 

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Why do we think gamification is the answer?

We’re all dopamine addicts at the end of the day, and games are your one-stop-shop for dopamine. Gamification refers to applying game design principles to non-game contexts to encourage engagement and participation. By introducing game mechanics such as rewards, leaderboards, or challenges, people feel a sense of competition and accomplishment, which drives more consistent participation and data collection.  Rather than being passive subjects, participants actively contribute and even make decisions that influence the direction of experiments.  Pump. science aims to rapidly accumulate and progress valuable data on aging and longevity, creating a feedback loop that accelerates the development of anti-aging interventions. 

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Hurdles faced by longevity researchers

While developments like the wormbot are primed to supercharge longevity research, we’d be remiss not to mention two of the primary hurdles that researchers come up against time and time again. 

1. Aging is not classified as a disease, which means the FDA does not approve clinical trials specifically aimed at combating it. The current interventions targeting aging on the market were largely discovered by accident—initially approved for treating specific diseases and later found to improve overall healthspan and lifespan. Another approach is to develop supplements, which can go directly to market without FDA approval, however, this has resulted in the market flooded with products with varying effectiveness. It is up to the supplement developers to hold an unwavering standards.
2. What do you measure as a proxy of aging? There is the challenge of choosing biomarkers that are highly predictive of biological aging. For something as systemic as aging there isn’t one single pathway that you can measure and then conclude that lifespan will be improved. 

“Another major thing that isn't doesn't have the attention to it that it deserves is natural genetic variation. Even when we find these interventions, just like aspirin doesn't work across the board the same way for everybody, these interventions are not likely to be magic bullets that equally work as well for every single person. So we really actually have to develop a toolkit of these interventions along with precision approaches to apply those interventions to the right people who will maximally benefit.” Dr Mitchell Lee

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A case study: the mTOR pathway

The mTOR pathway is a highly conserved master regulator of nutrient signaling, playing a critical role in determining how cells respond to their nutrient state—whether to proliferate, grow, or remain dormant. By targeting mTOR, we can potentially rebalance nutrient signaling, offering a promising intervention point for influencing cellular behavior. Rapamycin is a well-known drug that targets the mTOR pathway and has shown significant effects on healthspan and longevity. Interestingly, rapamycin itself was discovered by accident - it was approved to be an immunosuppressant during organ transplants, but at much lower dosages it was found to be beneficial to longevity. 

Krister Kauppi of the Rapamycin Longevity Lab believes that there are better mTOR inhibitors out there but they haven’t been found due to the regulatory hurdles surrounding longevity clinical trials. This blocker isn’t a reason to abandon the process however, and using the Wormbot Krister begun collecting data on other potential compounds. 

“The first thing I did was to test five mTOR inhibitors that I found in their library. Thanks to that, we found one mTOR inhibitor, which is better than rapamycin. So yeah, step by step, we move forward. I'm confident that we will find even better ones when we screen the 568 additional mTOR inhibitors.” Krister Kauppi

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What does the future hodl

By allowing more people to conduct experiments, share their findings, and collaborate with experts, the DeSci movement could unlock entirely new avenues of research. The combination of decentralized funding, gamification, and citizen science can revolutionize the longevity space. Instead of waiting for large institutions to fund and conduct studies, individuals and small groups can contribute directly. 

“We see ourselves as the medicine cabinet for longevity biotech. We're going to be the source for the best breakthrough interventions, things that don't just, you know, give a five or ten percent increase in lifespan, but could give thirty, fifty, double lifespan. Those kind of big, audacious goals pushing the limits of what a single or combination intervention can do in a physiological system.” Dr Mitchell Lee

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Many thanks to Krister Kauppi and Dr Mitchell Lee for taking the time to talk to us, and to our own Benji and Jillian for guiding the conversation. You can find the full podcast on our YouTube. Subscribe to our newsletter for more insights on DeSci topics, and follow our podcast to stay updated on engaging conversations.

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In August, 2023, AthenaDAO announced their commitment to combat ovarian aging, by dedicating $120,000 to Dr. Mario Cordero at Pablo de Olavide University. Not only was the preliminary science promising, but Dr. Cordero's own journey through fertility struggles, combined with his genuine desire to connect with the community he aimed to serve demonstrated a clear alignment in values. Since then, Dr. Cordero has been hard at work generating data, and we’re happy to let you know that things have gone well! 

In order to continue this important work, Dr. Cordero, together with AthenaDAO, is looking to the community for support in raising $75k to fund the next milestones. Before we look too far ahead, we thought we’d walk you through the most recent results. 

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Fertility 101

Fertility often influences major life decisions and future planning. Estimates suggest that one in six people experience fertility issues during their lifetime - a challenge that people usually bear privately behind closed doors, feeling isolated and confused. With no clear biomarkers to indicate how many eggs a woman has or how much time she has left to conceive, decisions about family planning can feel like a race against an invisible clock. This isn’t just about reproduction—it’s about choice. The ability to make informed decisions about when to start a family, or whether to start one at all, is crucial for many women. Even beyond fertility, ovarian aging also impacts the onset of menopause, a life-altering transition that many women may be unprepared for.

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What is Ovarian Aging?

Ovarian aging is the gradual decline of the processes that maintain fertility over time. As women age, their ovarian reserve—the number of viable eggs—naturally diminishes. But this decline isn’t the same for everyone. Some women experience a faster depletion, known as diminished ovarian reserve (DOR), where fertility declines earlier than expected. This can lead to fewer reproductive options for those affected.

At birth, women have around 1-2 million eggs, but by the time they reach menopause (around age 51), only about 1,000 remain. The most significant drop in egg quality and quantity occurs between the ages of 35 and 40, contributing to reduced fertility, a higher risk of miscarriage, and an increased chance of genetic issues in embryos. Globally, millions of women are affected by this decline, with many experiencing these challenges well before the average age due to conditions like DOR.

Factors that can cause ovarian aging to occur prematurely include genetics, autoimmune disorders, certain medical treatments (like chemotherapy), and environmental exposures. These influences can fast-track the decline, often leading to fertility challenges in women as early as their late 20s or early 30s.

Understanding ovarian aging is vital for women who want to take control of their fertility and make informed choices about their future. It’s also crucial for the doctors and specialists who support them in navigating these deeply personal decisions. By recognizing the signs early and raising awareness, we can help women explore their options sooner and find ways to preserve their fertility for when they’re ready.

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Tracking Ovarian Health

One key biomarker often used to track ovarian health is Anti-Müllerian Hormone (AMH), a hormone produced by cells in the ovary. As the ovarian reserves drop, so do the AMH levels, providing insights into how quickly time is catching up with a woman’s reproductive ability. But AMH isn’t the only clue! Another key hormone, Follicle-Stimulating Hormone (FSH), rises as the ovaries become less responsive to its signals, consequently, prompting the brain to pump out more FSH in an attempt to maintain fertility. This ultimately leads to a cycle of increasing FSH levels, indicating a declining ovarian reserve and reduced fertility, which results in fewer healthy follicles developing into viable eggs. In addition, these hormonal changes don’t happen in isolation. The ovaries themselves also undergo structural changes, leading to fewer healthy follicles developing into viable eggs. Together, these biomarkers form a roadmap of ovarian aging, one that researchers like Dr. Mario Cordero are actively working to understand, in an effort to uncover novel treatments. 

Until now, the process of ovarian aging has seemed like a predestined path, unable to be disrupted. However, what if there were ways to change direction? What if we could slow down this process? During research funded by the AthenaDAO community, Dr. Mario Cordero uncovered a surprising biological pathway, which may hold the key to new treatments. The pathway, known for its role in immune response, is called the cGAS-STING pathway.

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The Role of the cGAS-STING Pathway in Ovarian Aging

Emerging research shows that the cGAS-STING pathway might be a major cause of inflammation and tissue damage in aging ovaries. In both humans and animal models, higher levels of STING have been found in the ovaries, especially in a specific cell type called granulosa cells. These cells are crucial because they help eggs (oocytes) grow and mature, which is key to fertility. When this pathway is overactive in aging ovaries, it leads to increased production of certain inflammatory substances (such as IL-6 and Type I interferons). These substances cause inflammation and gradually reduce the ovaries' ability to function properly. When STING remains active for too long in ovarian cells, it can lead to several problems: the cells may age faster, their energy production can be disrupted, and their DNA can become damaged. 

All of these issues can speed up the loss of eggs and simultaneously lower the quality of the remaining ones.  

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Results from Dr. Cordero’s research so far

This research was designed to look at how the cGAS-STING pathway might be linked to aging in the ovaries and how it affects fertility. The researchers also studied how this process might be involved when chemotherapy damages the ovaries. The project was divided into three main parts, called work packages (WP).

WP1: Studying How the cGAS-STING Pathway Affects Aging in Ovaries

In the first part (WP1), the scientists looked at how the cGAS-STING pathway changes as women get older. The first experiments were designed to check whether or not cGAS-STING was involved at all with ovarian aging. If not, then it wouldn’t make sense to pursue further experiments. If yes, then full steam ahead!

They found that the STING protein is more active in older ovaries, which may contribute to the ovaries aging. This was seen in both human and mouse ovaries. They discovered that cells in the ovaries, especially in granulosa cells, are where this process happens most. Both mouse and human samples were tested because mice are often used as model organisms. However, if there was a big difference between the mouse and human data, then it would not be possible to continue using mice to study these effects, and another model organism would need to be chosen.

Since the data showed that mice can be used as a tool to study these effects, Dr. Cordero’s lab continued with their plan, and used a STING knockout model to see what would happen to the ovarian reserves if the STING protein was no longer present. Knockout mice are used to study what happens in an organism when a particular gene is absent. 

Dr. Cordero found that mice lacking the STING protein had more eggs and better fertility as they aged. The figure below shows mouse ovaries from ‘normal’ and ‘knockout’ mice, and the white arrows point to more follicles developing in the knockout mouse compared to the normal, wild-type mouse. 

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Finally, the researchers also found that women with diminished ovarian reserve had higher STING activity in their ovarian cells, as shown by higher levels of STING protein levels in samples from a healthy female compared to samples from a female with DOR. 

Together, the results from WP1 suggest that blocking the cGAS-STING pathway might help women keep their fertility longer as they get older. 

WP2: Looking at Chemotherapy’s Effect on Ovaries

In the second part (WP2), the researchers wanted to see if the cGAS-STING pathway also plays a role in how chemotherapy damages the ovaries. Early findings showed that chemotherapy increases STING activity in patients. 

In experiments with mice, they found that mice without the STING protein were protected from the harmful effects of chemotherapy on their ovaries. This means that blocking the cGAS-STING pathway could help protect women’s ovaries during chemotherapy, potentially saving their fertility while receiving life-saving treatment. 

WP3: Creating Therapies to Block the cGAS-STING Pathway

The third part (WP3) was about developing new drugs to block the cGAS-STING pathway. The scientists tested several small molecules and found one, called "A2," that works well at reducing the harmful effects of the cGAS-STING pathway, such as inflammation and cell death. This drug could be helpful in protecting or improving fertility in women as they age or undergo chemotherapy.

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It's time to fundraise for the next milestones!

True to the belief in equitable and accessible scientific research, AthenaDAO will be tokenizing the Cordero IP-NFT into Intellectual Property Tokens (IPTs) with the support of Molecule. These tokens enable the distribution of IP rights to holders to both raise funds for continued scientific research and empower the community to govern the resulting IP.

Due to the successful completion of the work packages in the first milestone of the project, Dr. Mario Cordero is looking to raise $75,000 USD to continue the work in milestone 2. With these funds, he is hoping to achieve two clear goals:

1. Continue the development of in vitro testing of these newly discovered inhibitors (A2) from WP3 
2. Test to see what happens when the cGAS-STING pathway is inhibited with Dr. Cordero’s newly developed compounds in animal models with reduced ovarian reserve

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Why choose the IPT model? 

By giving community members the power to co-develop research projects via IPTs, AthenaDAO is harnessing the potential of decentralized science. As the project moves forward, important decisions—such as which delivery vehicles to test, the best disease indications for clinical trials, and how to raise additional funds—will be guided by the collective expertise of the community. With the power of IP tokenization, the wisdom of the crowd will play a critical role in shaping the future of fertility research.

AthenaDAO will be sharing more details on the crowdsale soon - subscribe to their newsletter, join the community on telegram, or follow on X so you can be the first to know. 

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Supporting research that matters

At its core, this research is about empowering women with new options for their reproductive health. By tackling ovarian aging at a deeper level, we’re moving closer to a future where the limits of biology can be redefined. We’ve been honored to support Dr. Cordero’s partnership with AthenaDAO, and hope that you’ll join us on this journey. 

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References:

1. Jirge, P. (2016) ‘Poor ovarian reserve’, Journal of Human Reproductive Sciences, 9(2), p. 63. doi:10.4103/0974-1208.183514. 
2. Moolhuijsen, L.M. and Visser, J.A. (2020) ‘Anti-müllerian hormone and Ovarian Reserve: Update on assessing ovarian function’, The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 105(11), pp. 3361–3373. doi:10.1210/clinem/dgaa513. 
3. Oh, S.R., Choe, S.Y. and Cho, Y.J. (2019) ‘Clinical application of serum anti-Müllerian hormone in women’, Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine, 46(2), pp. 50–59. doi:10.5653/cerm.2019.46.2.50. 
4. Decout, A. et al. (2021) ‘The CGAS–sting pathway as a therapeutic target in inflammatory diseases’, Nature Reviews Immunology, 21(9), pp. 548–569. doi:10.1038/s41577-021-00524-z.