Life Sciences & Engineering Runner-Up
Posted July 14, 2026
What if artificial intelligence could help scientists discover new drugs for healthy aging?
Thomas Hodder, the Life Sciences & Engineering Runner-Up at this year's Research Computing Exhibition, is developing new ways to identify compounds that may promote healthy aging. Hodder created an AI-powered imaging process that measures heat stress resistance, a trait strongly linked to longevity, in the microscopic worm C. elegans
Traditional lifespan experiments can take weeks and require significant manual effort. Hodder's approach automates much of the process, allowing researchers to rapidly screen thousands of compounds and identify promising candidates more efficiently. Using this method, his team discovered 14 previously unknown drugs that extend worm lifespan.
One of the biggest challenges was developing and validating the assay itself. Hodder spent nearly two years refining the method before it was ready to detect potential drug candidates. Throughout that process, he relied on high-performance computing resources from the Minnesota Supercomputing Institute to process large imaging datasets, test software, and store research data.
Looking ahead, Hodder hopes to expand the scale of future drug screens and apply the technology to other areas of biology and disease research. Early results have already shown that some of the compounds identified in worms may also improve aging-related traits in human cells, providing promising new directions for future study.
By combining artificial intelligence, automation, and biological research, Hodder's work is helping researchers discover new drug candidates faster and advancing the search for healthier aging.
