Funding Forbidden Science with Crypto | Laura Minquini

What if aging and reproduction were engineering problems, not biological limits?

In this episode, Amanda Cassatt sits down with AthenaDAO founder Laura Minquini to unpack how reproductive biotech could transform same-sex reproduction, family structures, and the future of population growth.

Laura explains how AthenaDAO and the DeSci movement are using crypto to fund research that has previously not been prioritized by the FDA or mainstream pharma, arguing that reproductive biotech is one of the most consequential frontiers in modern science, from ovarian tissue cryopreservation and in vitro gametogenesis (IVG) to artificial wombs that could radically extend not just fertility, but women’s healthspan.

She details how ovarian tissue cryopreservation works, a surgical procedure originally developed for cancer patients where ovarian tissue is removed, frozen, and later reimplanted to restore ovarian function. She describes how this technique is now being offered electively, what it realistically enables, and why it may be the most direct path to delaying menopause.

The two dig into why menopause drives systemic aging, why women live longer but spend more years in disease, and how reproductive biology has been sidelined by traditional biotech funding.

Timestamps:

00:00 Why the future of biotech isn’t evenly distributed

 02:05 Ovarian tissue cryopreservation and extending fertility

 06:30 Why menopause affects the entire body—not just reproduction

 10:45 Longevity, ovarian function, and why women live longer with more disease

 15:10 Why women’s health research is so underfunded

 19:40 Clinical trials, fertility risk, and why female data is missing

 24:30 Artificial wombs: science fiction or near-term reality?

 29:00 In vitro gametogenesis (IVG) and the future of egg creation

 34:20 Radical reproductive unlocks and societal implications

 39:30 Why controversial technologies need human-first framing

 44:50 Decentralized science (DeSci) and crypto-funded research

 49:20 Why crypto struggles with long-term scientific timelines

 53:40 The AthenaDAO business model and token-equity hybrid approach

 58:10 Menopause prediction, HRT, and what Laura uses personally

 01:01:30 Moonshots, legacy, and redefining women’s reproductive futures

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