Aubrai: The AI Scientist Challenging the Speed of Aging Discovery

Aubrai, a decentralized scientific agent launched on the Base blockchain, has been introduced to bridge critical gaps in funding and accessibility within aging research. Developed in collaboration with VitaDAO and the bio-innovation firm BIO, Aubrai is designed to serve as an on-chain co-scientist, capable of generating and validating hypotheses, designing wet-lab experiments, and safeguarding intellectual property through encryption. The initiative aims to transform decades of expertise in longevity into a 24/7 research assistant, delivering real-time, context-aware insights for scientists, startups, and funders in the aging science field [1].

At the core of Aubrai’s mission is the Robust Mouse Rejuvenation (RMR2) project, a pilot study led by Dr. Aubrey de Grey aimed at doubling the remaining lifespan of middle-aged mice. This initiative is described as a potential "AlphaFold moment" in aging research—an experiment that could demonstrate the viability of multi-target rejuvenation and justify large-scale investment in the field [1]. The project is set to enter a pilot phase in Q3 2025, supported by co-funding from BIO and VitaDAO. If successful, it could establish a foundation for further autonomous research, including end-to-end scientific output from hypothesis generation to publication [1].

Aubrai operates within a confidential computing environment, utilizing the Phala Cloud TEE on ElizaOS v2. This setup ensures secure data handling while enhancing the AI's ability to retrieve and reason across a vast biomedical knowledge base. The agent is trained on thousands of private lab notes, unpublished insights, and internal communications from Dr. de Grey’s lab and the global longevity community. These data sources are combined with a synthetic Q&A dataset and a living biomedical literature graph to minimize hallucinations and maximize actionable output [1].

The launch of Aubrai addresses a significant challenge in aging science: the rapid accumulation of research, which makes it difficult for scientists to access validated, context-aware insights in a timely manner. Traditional methods of manual curation and search are increasingly inefficient, slowing discovery and limiting collaborative problem-solving. By integrating domain expertise with cutting-edge evidence, Aubrai enables users to accelerate hypothesis generation, intervention design, and experimental decision-making. This, in turn, could lead to faster discovery cycles and more efficient allocation of research resources [1].

Looking ahead, Aubrai plans to integrate Base’s AgentKit in Q4 2025, allowing it to execute transactions autonomously and manage financial operations independently. The project also intends to open a public database of negative results and flawed designs to prevent redundant experimentation and foster a culture of transparency. Additionally, the agent will offer a chat interface to scientists and a one-click minting feature for Proof-of-Idea (PoI) NFTs, allowing researchers to tokenize and share their contributions on-chain [1].

The broader aging research community is also making strides in understanding the relationship between physical fitness and biological aging. A recent study published in the Journal of the American Medical Directors Association analyzed data from over 46,000 UK Biobank participants and found that higher cardiorespiratory fitness and muscle strength are independently associated with reduced risks of suboptimal longevity. These findings suggest that fitness interventions tailored to biological aging rates could enhance healthy life expectancy. Such research underscores the growing importance of integrating biological age metrics into public health strategies, particularly in aging populations [3].

Source:

[1] BIO • aubrai (https://app.bio.xyz/agents/aubrai)

[2] Bio-protocol Journal | Bio-protocol (https://bio-protocol.org/en)

[3] Physical Fitness, Biological Aging, and Healthy Longevity (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S152****025003093)