Science Corporation, the brain-computer interface startup founded in 2021 by former Neuralink President Max Hodak, is launching a new division focused on extending the viability of human organs outside the body. Based in Alameda, California, the company aims to improve upon existing perfusion systems that circulate blood through organs when the heart or lungs fail, a technology used in both life support and organ transplantation.
Current systems, including extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), are costly, bulky, and designed for short-term use. Science is developing a smaller, portable alternative intended for longer-term support. Hodak said organ perfusion aligns with the company’s broader mission, noting, “In some sense, they're both longevity technologies.”
The move builds on Science’s earlier work in neural interfaces and vision restoration, including a retinal implant acquired in 2024 that restored partial sight in patients with advanced macular degeneration. Hodak said his interest in organ preservation deepened after learning of a teenage patient who died while awaiting a lung transplant due to complications from prolonged ECMO use. “Could you get to the point where you could check a kidney as luggage on a United flight to the East Coast or build a system where that kid could have brought home a backpack?” he asked.
A small team at Science has already kept rabbit kidneys alive for up to 48 hours and aims to extend that to a month. The prototype uses integrated sensors and automated controls, with Hodak arguing that current medical use does not fully reflect what the technology is capable of achieving in principle.
