In this episode of the Research Forward Podcast, host David Mayo welcomes Dr. Michael Florea, co-founder and CEO of Olden Labs, a Harvard-trained synthetic biologist revolutionizing longevity research. Michael shares his journey from teenage lab work in Estonia to developing whole-body gene delivery systems at Harvard Medical School, and ultimately founding Olden Labs to tackle the bottlenecks of animal studies.

Discover how Olden Labs is building the world’s first automated animal research lab using AI-powered smart cages and robotics to transform data collection, reduce costs, and improve animal welfare. From non-invasive health monitoring to accelerating disease model development, this conversation explores the intersection of engineering, biology, and artificial intelligence in modern biotech.

Learn how automation is reshaping reproducibility, ethical standards, and the future of preclinical research—one smart cage at a time.

Michael Florea is the co-founder and CEO of Olden Labs, a biotechnology startup pioneering the automation of animal research through AI, robotics, and genetic engineering. At Olden, Michael leads business development, animal studies, and the company’s genetic engineering initiatives, driving innovation in longevity research and preclinical testing.

Michael’s scientific journey began at age 16, when he entered the lab as a high school student in Estonia. He went on to earn a bachelor's degree in synthetic biology from Imperial College London and a master’s degree from ETH Zurich, where he specialized in mammalian systems engineering. He later completed his PhD at Harvard Medical School, developing whole-body gene delivery systems to advance gene therapies for aging. His doctoral work enabled targeted DNA delivery across major organs—brain, muscle, heart, and liver—laying the foundation for more predictive animal models of human disease.

Over seven years of conducting animal studies, Michael encountered firsthand the inefficiencies and ethical challenges of manual data collection. These experiences inspired him to launch Olden Labs, which builds smart cages and automated systems to monitor animal health non-invasively and at scale. His work has earned him fellowships from the Foresight Institute, the Mercatus Center’s Emergent Ventures, and the Longevity Biotech Fellowship, recognizing his contributions to the future of healthspan and biotechnology.