In Episode #198 of the PricePlow Podcast, we sit down with Nora Khaldi, founder and CEO of Nuritas, the groundbreaking company revolutionizing ingredient discovery through artificial intelligence and peptide science. Nora's journey from pure mathematician and computer scientist to pioneering AI-driven nutrition innovation represents a fascinating intersection of technology and human health.
Nora Khaldi, founder and CEO of Nuritas, discusses AI-powered peptide discovery, clinical validation, and the science behind PeptiStrong, PeptiSleep, PeptiYouth, and PeptiControl on Episode #198 of the PricePlow Podcast.
Most listeners know Nuritas from PeptiStrong, the natural anabolic peptide ingredient derived from fava beans that's making waves in the sports nutrition industry. But there's so much more to the Nuritas story. This episode explores how Nora, a mathematician, identified a fundamental problem in the supplement industry: an inability to create truly new ingredients to address rapidly evolving consumer health trends. Traditional ingredient development takes decades and costs hundreds of millions of dollars, making innovation nearly impossible for the nutrition sector.
Nora explains how Nuritas spent seven to eight years building proprietary AI technology called Magnifier, which integrates machine learning, proteomics, peptidomics, and molecular biology to identify bioactive peptides in nature. The conversation covers the company's entire peptide portfolio, including PeptiSleep, PeptiYouth, PeptiControl, and the upcoming PeptiPump, along with the clinical science, regulatory challenges, and manufacturing processes behind each ingredient.
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https://blog.priceplow.com/podcast/nora-khaldi-nuritas-198
Video: Nora Khaldi on AI-Powered Peptide Discovery
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:24:25 — 77.7MB)
Detailed Show Notes: From Mathematics to Peptide Innovation
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0:00 - Introduction: The Mathematician Who Revolutionized Peptide Discovery
Mike welcomes Nora Khaldi, founder and CEO of Nuritas, to discuss the company's AI-driven approach to discovering bioactive peptides. While many listeners know Nuritas from PeptiStrong, the natural anabolic ingredient derived from fava beans, Nora's background reveals an unexpected path to supplement innovation. With degrees in pure mathematics and computer science, she initially worked in drug discovery before transitioning to nutrition, where she identified molecules in dairy that improve human health. This early research led to the realization that peptides exist across various natural sources, and matching the right peptide to the right health benefit became her mission.
This is a long-awaited episode after hosting Neil Foster for Episode #112, who walked us through Nuritas' first two clinical published studies on PeptiStrong.
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0:30 - The Innovation Gap in Supplement Ingredients
Nora identified three converging consumer trends: growing interest in health optimization, preference for natural solutions over synthetic options, and increasing planetary consciousness. Yet the supplement industry couldn't adequately address these needs because most ingredients are 100 years old or older. Ingredient suppliers face a fundamental limitation: they can incrementally modify existing ingredients but can't create genuinely new ones. The barrier isn't lack of creativity but economics and time. Developing a new ingredient traditionally takes decades and costs hundreds of millions of dollars, making such investments viable only in pharmaceuticals. The nutrition industry found itself using century-old ingredients to address daily-changing consumer trends, creating a massive innovation gap that demanded a technological solution.
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2:30 - The Data Problem: Why AI Was Essential
The core challenge in ingredient discovery is fundamentally a data problem. Natural sources contain trillions of different molecules, making it nearly impossible to determine which molecule produces which health effect through traditional methods. Nora recognized that only AI combined with multiple complementary technologies could solve this. Nuritas was built to integrate artificial intelligence with proteomics, peptidomics, and molecular biology, creating a unified system capable of discovering new ingredients in a fraction of the traditional time and cost. The company's Magnifier technology represents years of development integrating these disciplines. This platform is 10 times faster and 600 times more accurate than traditional methods, analyzing over one billion peptides to discover entire networks of synergistic compounds.
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4:45 - Timeline and Technology Development: Before ChatGPT
Mike emphasizes an important distinction: Nuritas' AI technology development began over a decade ago, well before ChatGPT brought artificial intelligence into mainstream consciousness. Nora recalls presenting to early investors about two then-obscure concepts: AI and peptides. One investor memorably asked if "AI" meant artificial insemination, illustrating how foreign these concepts were at the time. The company spent seven to eight years building its core technology with no revenue generation, relying entirely on investment capital. This period focused on developing the AI systems and creating the proprietary datasets necessary to fuel them. The timing proved prescient, as she knew peptides would become the future modality for health optimization, even when the market didn't yet recognize their potential.
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6:15 - Building Proprietary Data from Scratch
Unlike companies leveraging existing databases, Nuritas had to generate its own proprietary data because available research wasn't suitable for AI applications. Much published research isn't repeatable between labs, uses inconsistent experimental protocols, and contains subjective interpretation that prevents systematic analysis. Building usable data meant generating hundreds of millions of peptides and observing how cells behave under their influence. This includes tracking gene expression, protein production, cellular processes, and effects across cell cultures, tissue samples, and both animal and human models. The methodology had to be completely objective, using consistent statistical approaches to eliminate subjectivity. This massive undertaking created the foundation for AI systems capable of predicting peptide behavior with accuracy impossible through traditional research methods.
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8:45 - Beyond Efficacy: The Complete Ingredient Development Equation
Nora stresses that successful ingredient development requires far more than identifying bioactive molecules. An ingredient must also be producible at commercial scale, cost-effective to manufacture, stable in various formulations, and able to withstand processing conditions like heat exposure during baking. These practical considerations are as critical as biological efficacy. Nuritas developed AI predictors for each factor, including modeling human digestion to ensure peptides remain active through the digestive process rather than breaking down immediately. Many highly active molecules discovered in research can't be commercialized because there's no economically viable way to extract or scale production. The company's technology stack addresses the entire value chain from discovery through manufacturing, ensuring that promising science translates into marketable ingredients.
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10:15 - What Is a Peptide? Understanding Nature's Signaling Molecules
Nora explains that peptides are essentially messages telling your body what to do. They're the primary signaling molecules in human and terrestrial biology, functioning as messengers that direct cellular and biological processes. Every action, from thinking to movement to conversation, involves peptide signals instructing the body. After delivering their message, peptides disappear like whispers. They're shorter versions of proteins, which most people know as nutrients. But this shorter structure gives peptides advantages: they're more robust, capable of more diverse signaling functions, and significantly more bioavailable than full proteins. While proteins provide nutrition, peptides convey specific health benefits through their signaling capabilities. This distinction makes peptides uniquely valuable for targeted health interventions beyond basic nutrition.
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12:00 - PeptiStrong: From Discovery to Market
Mike shifts focus to PeptiStrong, Nuritas' first commercial ingredient that addresses muscle health and anabolic signaling. Nora explains that muscle loss represents a massive unmet need affecting both aging populations and active individuals. The company identified fava beans as a particularly rich source of bioactive peptides, analyzing the protein structure and identifying specific peptide sequences that trigger muscle protein synthesis and support muscle maintenance. What makes PeptiStrong unique isn't just its efficacy but its natural origin and clean manufacturing process. The ingredient works through multiple mechanisms: reducing muscle breakdown by suppressing myostatin, increasing muscle synthesis via mTOR activation, and supporting energy production through increased mitochondrial mass. Three human clinical trials validate its effectiveness at just 2.4 grams daily.
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15:30 - Clinical Validation and Human Studies
The clinical program for PeptiStrong included multiple studies measuring various endpoints related to muscle health. Researchers examined muscle protein synthesis rates, changes in lean body mass, strength improvements, and functional capacity in different populations. Nora emphasizes that conducting human clinical trials was essential for market acceptance, even though it significantly extended development timelines and costs. The studies needed to meet rigorous scientific standards while generating data relevant to supplement companies and their end consumers. Results showed a 144% increase in strength recovery, 54% increase in muscle energy, 47% less muscle fatigue, and 17% increase in overall strength. This clinical validation created a blueprint for how Nuritas would approach subsequent ingredients, balancing scientific rigor with commercial practicality.
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18:45 - Manufacturing and Extraction Processes
Translating peptide discovery into commercial ingredients requires sophisticated manufacturing capabilities. Nora explains that Nuritas doesn't just identify active peptides; they must ensure those peptides can be efficiently extracted from source materials like fava beans. The extraction process preserves peptide bioactivity while achieving the purity and concentration needed for supplement applications. Manufacturing partners must understand the specific processing conditions that maintain peptide integrity, including pH levels, temperature controls, and handling procedures. The company works closely with extraction specialists and ingredient manufacturers to optimize processes for both quality and economics. This manufacturing expertise represents a critical competitive advantage, as many companies might identify interesting molecules but lack pathways to commercial production at acceptable costs and scales.
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22:00 - Regulatory Strategy and Patent Protection
Navigating regulatory requirements presents unique challenges for peptide ingredients. Nora discusses how Nuritas positions products within existing regulatory frameworks while building robust patent protection. The company holds 56 issued patents covering not just specific peptide sequences but also methods of discovery, extraction processes, applications, and combinations. This comprehensive IP approach protects market position while enabling partnerships with ingredient distributors and supplement brands. Regulatory considerations vary by market, with different requirements in the United States, Europe, and Asia. The team works proactively with regulatory consultants to ensure compliance while maintaining speed to market. Understanding these frameworks early in development prevents costly delays and reformulations later in commercialization.
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25:15 - PeptiSleep: Addressing the Sleep Crisis
Sleep represents one of modern society's most pressing health challenges, making it a natural target for Nuritas' technology. PeptiSleep emerged from analyzing natural sources for peptides that influence sleep architecture and quality without the side effects associated with pharmaceutical sleep aids. Derived from brown rice, the ingredient works through specific signaling pathways that promote natural sleep onset and maintenance by targeting elevated cortisol as a root cause of poor sleep quality. Clinical studies measured objective sleep parameters using polysomnography and actigraphy alongside subjective quality assessments. Results demonstrated 12 more minutes of REM sleep, 13 more minutes of deep sleep, 38 more minutes of overall sleep, and 32% higher heart rate variability. The ingredient's natural mechanism offers advantages over melatonin or sedatives, aligning with consumer preferences for non-habit-forming sleep solutions.
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28:30 - PeptiSleep Mechanisms and Clinical Insights
Nora elaborates on how PeptiSleep influences sleep through multiple complementary pathways. Rather than simply inducing sedation, the peptides signal the body's natural sleep-wake regulatory systems by targeting the orexin receptor to manage nighttime cortisol levels. Importantly, it doesn't affect waking cortisol levels, so users don't experience the sleep hangover or grogginess common with other sleep aids. The clinical program revealed interesting insights about responders versus non-responders, with most participants experiencing significant benefits. Sleep improvement manifested across multiple dimensions: faster sleep onset, fewer nighttime awakenings, increased time in restorative sleep stages, and improved subjective sleep quality measured by the Leeds Sleep Evaluation Questionnaire. The ingredient's format flexibility allows use in beverages, gummies, capsules, and functional foods, making it accessible across different consumer preferences and usage occasions.
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32:00 - PeptiYouth: Beauty from Within
The beauty-from-within category represents significant growth in both supplements and functional foods, making PeptiYouth strategically important. This ingredient targets skin health through internal signaling rather than topical application. She explains that skin aging involves collagen degradation, loss of elasticity, moisture retention decline, and accumulated oxidative damage. PeptiYouth addresses these factors by signaling cells to increase collagen production, enhance skin barrier function, and support natural antioxidant systems. Clinical studies measured objective parameters including skin elasticity, hydration levels, wrinkle depth, and overall appearance alongside participant-reported outcomes. Results showed measurable improvements in multiple skin health markers, validating the concept that specific peptides can enhance beauty from the inside out through targeted cellular signaling. This positions the ingredient at the intersection of nutrition and cosmetics.
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35:45 - PeptiProtect: Supporting Immune Function
PeptiProtect addresses immune system support, a category that exploded in consumer awareness during and after the pandemic. The ingredient contains peptides that modulate immune cell activity and support balanced immune responses. Nora emphasizes that effective immune support means promoting appropriate immune function rather than simply boosting immunity, which could be counterproductive. PeptiProtect works through signaling pathways that help immune cells respond appropriately to challenges while avoiding overreaction that leads to inflammation. The clinical work examined immune markers, inflammatory responses, and real-world outcomes like frequency and duration of common illnesses. The ingredient offers particular value for populations under increased stress, athletes experiencing training-induced immune suppression, and aging individuals with declining immune function.
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39:15 - PeptiControl: Glucose Management Innovation
PeptiControl targets glucose metabolism and blood sugar management, addressing metabolic health in a market dominated by established ingredients like berberine and chromium. The peptides in PeptiControl signal improved insulin sensitivity, enhanced glucose uptake by cells, and better overall glucose homeostasis. She notes that metabolic health represents a massive market opportunity as metabolic syndrome prevalence continues rising globally. The ingredient's mechanism differs from existing options, potentially offering advantages in specific applications or populations. Clinical studies evaluated glucose tolerance, insulin response, HbA1c levels, and metabolic markers in various populations. The results support positioning PeptiControl as part of comprehensive metabolic health protocols, whether standalone or combined with lifestyle interventions.
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43:00 - The Future: PeptiPump and Beyond
Mike asks about PeptiPump, an ingredient Nuritas has been developing with limited public information. Nora confirms significant data will be released early next year following completion of ongoing clinical studies. The early results look promising. PeptiPump focuses on energy and performance, with applications in the sports nutrition and pre-workout categories. Derived from lentils and functioning as an ACE inhibitor among other mechanisms, the ingredient addresses energy production, blood flow, and physical performance through peptide signaling. The clinical program examines multiple performance endpoints relevant to active consumers and athletes. This pipeline ingredient demonstrates Nuritas' continued innovation beyond its first-generation products, with new peptides addressing emerging consumer needs and market opportunities.
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46:30 - The Role of Early Adopters and Market Education
Next, the team discusses the critical importance of early adopter brands willing to formulate with novel ingredients before widespread market awareness. Companies like Glaxon, which was first to market with PeptiStrong in their Anomaly product, play a vital role in proving commercial viability and building consumer education. These partnerships require mutual commitment: brands invest in unproven ingredients based on science and potential, while Nuritas provides extensive technical support, clinical data, and marketing resources. As products reach market and consumers experience benefits, word spreads through communities and social media, creating organic demand. This grassroots growth complements traditional marketing, building authentic brand equity. The company actively seeks partnership with innovative brands rather than focusing only on established supplement giants.
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50:00 - Strength and Bone Density: Interconnected Health
The conversation explores the relationship between muscle health and bone density, two interconnected aspects of physical longevity. Nora explains that muscle and bone exist in constant communication through signaling molecules. Muscle contractions stimulate bone formation, while bone-derived factors influence muscle metabolism. This bidirectional signaling creates opportunities for peptide interventions that benefit both systems simultaneously. PeptiStrong's anabolic effects on muscle tissue may have secondary benefits for bone health through mechanical loading and biochemical signaling. In fact, the 2025 clinical study revealed an unexpected finding: the PeptiStrong group gained an average of 22.2 grams of bone mineral content while the placebo group lost 8.2 grams. The company has explored specific peptides targeting bone directly, recognizing that aging populations face dual challenges of sarcopenia and osteoporosis.
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53:30 - From Ideation to Market: The Complete Journey
Nora walks through Nuritas' complete development process from initial concept to commercial launch. It begins with identifying an unmet consumer need through market research and trend analysis. The AI system then screens natural sources for peptides predicted to address that need, generating candidates ranked by predicted efficacy and commercial viability. Top candidates undergo laboratory validation examining cellular and molecular effects. Successful peptides move into ingredient development, including extraction process optimization, stability testing, and formulation trials. Human clinical studies provide efficacy validation and safety data. Simultaneously, the team develops regulatory documentation, builds patent protection, and establishes manufacturing partnerships. Throughout this journey, typically lasting 18 to 24 months from concept to market, the company maintains flexibility to pivot based on findings.
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57:15 - Supply Chain and Manufacturing Partners
Building reliable supply chains represents a critical yet often overlooked aspect of ingredient commercialization. Nora discusses how Nuritas selects manufacturing partners based on technical capability, quality systems, and scalability potential. For ingredients like PeptiStrong derived from fava beans, this means establishing relationships with agricultural suppliers, extraction facilities, and finishing manufacturers. The company maintains close oversight of production quality, ensuring batch-to-batch consistency that meets specifications. As demand grows, manufacturing capacity must scale proportionally while maintaining quality. The team has learned lessons about forecasting, inventory management, and communicating with brand partners about lead times. These operational details may lack the glamour of scientific discovery but ultimately determine whether innovations successfully reach consumers at acceptable costs and consistent quality.
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1:00:45 - Market Trends: Beauty, Sleep, and Metabolic Health
The crew notes several major trends shaping supplement innovation. Beauty-from-within continues expanding beyond traditional markets, with male consumers increasingly interested in skin health and appearance. Sleep solutions are transitioning from basic melatonin to sophisticated formulations addressing sleep architecture complexity. Metabolic health has moved mainstream as consumers recognize connections between blood sugar management, energy, and long-term wellness. These trends create opportunities for scientifically validated ingredients with clear mechanisms and clinical support. However, market success requires more than good science. Brands need education and support, consumers need accessible information about benefits and usage, and the ingredient must deliver experiences that build loyalty. Nuritas positions itself as a partner throughout this journey rather than simply an ingredient supplier.
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1:04:15 - Holistic Health: The Future of Personalized Wellness
Looking toward the future, Nora envisions integration between bioactive ingredients and wearable technology creating truly personalized health solutions. Imagine wearing a device that monitors your sleep architecture, stress levels, glucose patterns, and physical activity while recommending specific peptide combinations optimized for your individual biology and goals. This combination of sensing technology and targeted nutritional intervention could revolutionize health optimization. The challenge lies in developing algorithms that translate biometric data into actionable recommendations while ensuring interventions deliver measurable benefits. Nuritas is exploring these possibilities while focusing on current products. The company sees itself as creating solutions tailored to specific biological needs rather than retrofitting old ingredients to modern problems.
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1:08:00 - Consumer Education and Scientific Communication
Making complex peptide science accessible to consumers requires careful communication balancing scientific accuracy with practical understanding. Nora emphasizes that consumers don't need to understand AI algorithms or cellular signaling pathways to benefit from products. What they need is clear information about what an ingredient does, why it works, and how to use it. The company provides multiple content layers: technical documentation for formulators and researchers, simplified explanations for brand marketers, and consumer-friendly descriptions for product labels and marketing. This tiered approach ensures everyone accesses appropriate information depth. Social media and content marketing play increasingly important roles in education, with short-form videos and infographics making science engaging rather than intimidating.
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1:12:00 - Competitive Landscape and Differentiation
The peptide space has become increasingly crowded as other companies recognize the opportunity. Nora addresses how Nuritas differentiates through its comprehensive technology platform, proprietary data, and clinical validation approach. Many companies can identify interesting peptides through literature review or basic screening, but translating discoveries into commercially viable ingredients requires the integrated capabilities Nuritas has built. The AI systems, manufacturing expertise, regulatory knowledge, and clinical infrastructure create competitive advantages beyond simply having good science. Additionally, the company's first-mover position in several categories has established brand recognition and trust with formulators. However, Nora welcomes competition, believing the category grows faster when multiple companies contribute to market education and legitimacy.
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1:15:30 - Sustainability and Planetary Health
Environmental sustainability factors into Nuritas' source material selection and manufacturing processes. Plant-based peptide sources like fava beans, lentils, and brown rice offer significantly lower environmental impact compared to animal-derived ingredients or synthetic production. The company evaluates water usage, agricultural practices, processing efficiency, and waste generation when developing extraction methods. Nora notes that consumers, particularly younger generations, increasingly consider sustainability when making purchase decisions. Brands want ingredients aligning with their environmental values and enabling sustainability marketing claims. This creates business incentives beyond corporate responsibility for minimizing ecological footprint. The convergence of consumer demand, brand preferences, and environmental necessity makes sustainability integral to ingredient development rather than an afterthought.
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1:18:00 - Global Market Expansion and Regional Considerations
While Nuritas began with primary focus on North American and European markets, opportunities exist globally. They discuss regional differences in consumer preferences, regulatory environments, and distribution channels. Asian markets show strong interest in beauty-from-within products, making PeptiYouth particularly relevant. Middle Eastern markets have unique regulatory considerations but growing supplement adoption. Latin American markets present opportunities but require different partnership structures. Each region demands customized approaches to regulatory approval, clinical evidence requirements, and marketing positioning. The company works with regional distributors and partners who understand local markets rather than attempting direct global expansion. This strategy enables faster market entry while maintaining focus on core capabilities around discovery and ingredient development.
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1:21:00 - Final Thoughts: The Peptide Future and Nuritas' Legacy
Nora reiterates her conviction that peptides represent the future of precision nutrition and health optimization. Having analyzed all types of bioactive molecules early in Nuritas' history, peptides consistently emerged as the optimal modality for addressing human health through natural signaling mechanisms. The combination of AI-driven discovery, rigorous clinical validation, and scalable manufacturing now makes peptide innovation economically viable at industry speed. The company looks toward 2026 and beyond with continued expansion of its peptide portfolio, new clinical studies, and growing market adoption. With investment backing from groups like Cleveland Avenue and Cultivian Sandbox, plus advisory board members including former PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi and even investors like Bono and Marc Benioff, Nuritas has the resources and credibility to leave a lasting legacy. She invites industry professionals to visit Nuritas booths at trade shows to test ingredients like PeptiSleep gummies and experience the science firsthand.
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1:22:00 - Finding Nora and Nuritas Online
Mike asks about following Nora's work. She admits to historically maintaining low public profile despite building an 11,600-follower LinkedIn presence. However, 2026 brings increased visibility as the company scales. LinkedIn remains the best platform for connecting with Dr. Khaldi personally, where she shares insights on peptide science, AI innovation, and nutrition industry trends. For company updates, follow Nuritas Research on Instagram and connect on LinkedIn. The company maintains active presence at major industry trade shows including SupplySide, Vitafoods, and Natural Products Expo, where attendees can meet the team, learn about new ingredients, and sample products incorporating Nuritas peptides. Visit the company website at nuritas.com for technical information, published research (17 peer-reviewed papers), and brand partnership inquiries.
Where to Find Nora Khaldi and Nuritas
- Nora Khaldi on LinkedIn
- Nuritas on LinkedIn
- Official Website: nuritas.com
- Subscribe to Nuritas News on PricePlow
Thank you to Nora Khaldi for sharing her groundbreaking work in AI-driven peptide discovery. From founding a company based on pure mathematics and computer science to bringing clinically validated ingredients like PeptiStrong, PeptiSleep, PeptiYouth, PeptiControl, and the upcoming PeptiPump to market, her journey represents the future of supplement innovation. As she stated, "peptides are the future" of precision nutrition, and Nuritas is leading that transformation with over one billion peptides explored through their Magnifier platform.
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