The Methuselah Foundation has unveiled the Methuselah 300 monument in the US Virgin Islands, a lasting record of the generous donors of the Methuselah 300 who have helped fund the work of the Methuselah Foundation over the past decade: the M Prize for longevity science; the seed funding of bioprinting company Organovo; the SENS rejuvenation research programs and creation of the SENS Research Foundation; the launch of the New Organ prize series; and much more.

The Methuselah Foundation was the first longevity science initiative that I chose to materially support with my donations and my time. The third post I wrote here at Fight Aging! back in 2004 covers the just-getting-started initiative of the Methuselah 300: aiming to find a group of regular donors to contribute to bold initiatives in aging research. It was an ambitious plan at a time when raising funding to accelerate progress towards rejuvenation therapies was near unheard of, mocked by the press and the scientific establishment where it did happen, and all in all considerably harder than it is today. But why is it now easier to raise funds for rejuvenation research, and why is it now the case that up and coming scientists can talk seriously about treating aging without risking reputation and career? In large part because the Methuselah 300 worked, people joined in to a degree not seen in earlier initiatives with similar aims, the Methuselah Foundation became a going and influential concern within the small aging research community atop the foundation provided by 300 member donations, and the staff and allies of the Methuselah Foundation went on to change the culture of that community, spinning off the SENS Research Foundation along the way, having a hand behind the scenes in many important activities and decisions.

This is something like the eleven thousandth post at Fight Aging!, and a decade has passed since the first member of the Methuselah 300 sent in the first donation to help fund the then small M Prize for longevity science. The reasons for joining the 300 are just the same as they were back then, with the additional guarantee that now it isn't a step into the unknown. You might read Michael Rae's call to action from that time, for example. Joining the Methuselah 300 is a way to make a real difference to the future of health and aging, to materially support an organization with a proven track record of getting things done in longevity science. Just this year, for example, the Methuselah Foundation joined with the SENS Research Foundation in providing seed funding to Oisin Biotech, a startup company aiming to build a viable senescent cell clearance therapy, a technology we hope to see reach the clinic in the near future, the first true rejuvenation therapy capable of removing some of the damage that causes aging and age-related disease.

The Methuselah 300 Monument

In 2005, The Methuselah 300 initiative began with a few brave and dedicated people willing to fight for life itself. These individuals are now honored by a monument in St. Thomas. Their story is presented by the founders of the Methuselah Foundation in the following video. In it, we pay tribute to their continued courage and generosity, which fuels the real hope for extended healthy human life. Will you join the legacy?

Methuselah Foundation Announces the Official Unveiling of the Methuselah 300 Monument