The DeSci Podcast

Biotech is at a crossroads—AI, intellectual property, and startups are reshaping the future. But who really controls the breakthroughs? In this episode, Sara Holland, an IP advisor, explores how patents impact biotech, the challenges startups face against big pharma, and whether AI will change everything.What You’ll Learn in This Episode:- The hidden barriers to biotech innovation- How AI is transforming drug discovery and synthetic biology- The role of patents in protecting—or stifling—progress- Why decentralized science (DeSci) could be the key to the future

______Special Thanks To:

Ella McCarthy-Page : https://x.com/EMcCarthyPage

Sara HollandChris Brynes

Mark Nichols

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Let's connect: Website: https://bit.ly/3d6nh2C

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Molecule_dao

Discord: https://discord.com/invite/moleculedao

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Molecule - The future of medicine belongs to everyone

Welcome to another episode of the DeSci Podcast. Today, we are discussing a critical issue that affects over 30 million people in the United States—Rare Diseases. Despite being more prevalent than cancer and HIV combined, rare diseases remain underfunded, overlooked by Big Pharma, and trapped in a broken system.Our Guest: This episode features Ethan Perlstein, founder of CureTopia, an initiative using Decentralized Science (DeSci) and blockchain to revolutionize rare disease research. Why does the current system fail millions of patients, and how can decentralized models change that?What You’ll Learn in This Episode:-The reality of rare diseases and why the term "rare" is misleading-How patients and parents are taking control of scientific research-Why Big Pharma does not prioritize rare diseases and the funding challenges involved-How DeSci and blockchain can disrupt traditional biotech and accelerate drug development-The vision behind CureTopia and how it is reshaping research for rare disease treatmentsResources Mentioned:CureTopia: https://curetopia.xyzDeSci Podcast: https://www.molecule.xyzFeel free to navigate through any of the topics discussed in the podcast using the timestamps below.___⭐ Timestamps:0:00 - Introduction: The Rare Disease Crisis2:14 - Why Rare Diseases Are More Common Than People Think5:13 - Challenges in Rare Disease Advocacy9:25 - How Parents Become Scientific Experts in Their Child’s Disease13:50 - Why Big Pharma Ignores Rare Diseases17:16 - The Role of Decentralized Science (DeSci) in Drug Development22:41 - The Funding Challenges in Rare Disease Research27:34 - How Blockchain and Smart Contracts Can Help Rare Disease Research33:04 - The Power of Community in Rare Disease Advocacy38:26 - What Is CureTopia and How Does It Work?43:57 - The Future of Rare Disease Research and Biotech Innovation49:14 - Ethan Perlstein’s Vision for CureTopia54:10 - Closing Thoughts and Where to Learn More______If you prefer listening to podcasts on audio apps, feel free to search for "The DeSci Podcast" on Spotify, Google Podcasts & Apple Podcasts. You'll also find all links to the podcast apps below.If you want to join us on the show as a speaker or have guest ideas, please shoot us an mail at [email protected] thanks to:Jillian Casalini: https://x.com/JillianCasaliniEthan Perlstein: https://x.com/eperlste____Let's connect: Website: https://bit.ly/3d6nh2CX: https://twitter.com/Molecule_daoDiscord: https://discord.com/invite/moleculedaoMolecule - The future of medicine belongs to everyone!

Welcome to another episode of the DeSci Podcast! Today, we’re excited to host Joshua Bate, Founder of DeSciWorld. DeSciWorld is a community-driven initiative dedicated to facilitating the onboarding of individuals into the Decentralized Science (DeSci) space.

It provides users with the tools to view, engage with, and understand everything happening in the world of decentralized science.

In this episode, Joshua shares the vision behind DeSciWorld and its role as a global hub for the decentralized science community. We touch on Joshua's frank thoughts on the DeSci movement and how open discussion and unadultered knowledge transfer, alongside powerful incentives, are necessary to grow the space.

We also discuss the “Proof of Knowledge protocol”, DeSciWorld's upcoming technical product where users can upload data and receive incentives whenever their contributions are utilized. Joshua addresses concerns about spam and low-quality dataset submissions, as well as potential technical approaches to ensure that the data used to train AI remains high-quality and reliable.

DeSci World: https://desci.world/

SynapseDAO: https://synapse-dao.webflow.io/

Feel free to navigate through any of the topics discussed in the podcast using the timestamps below.

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⭐ Timestamps:

0:00 Intro

1:28 Overview of DeSci World

04:24 About “Proof of Knowledge” protocol

7:07 Ensuring high-quality datasets

14:04 Common misconceptions about DeSci

16:28 How incentives can drive DeSci adoption in Academia

20:10 Underappreciated aspects of Decentralized Science

22:10 Recommendations for getting started in DeSci

24:23 Competition vs. collaboration in the Web3 space

25:48 Scope of biotech

30:59 The future of of Decentralized Science

33:55 Outro

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If you prefer listening to podcasts on audio apps, feel free to search for "The DeSci Podcast" on Spotify, Google Podcasts & Apple Podcasts. You'll also find all links to the podcast apps below.

If you want to join us on the show as a speaker or have guest ideas, please shoot us an mail at [email protected]

Special thanks to

Lea: https://twitter.com/lealeata

Joshua: https://twitter.com/jb87ua

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Let's connect:

Website: https://bit.ly/3d6nh2C

X: https://twitter.com/Molecule_dao

Discord: https://discord.com/invite/moleculedao

In this episode, we're diving deep into Molecule's Catalyst, an incentive-driven funding system for basic research. We begin by exploring the significant challenges posed by traditional funding models. We then touch on the "Valley of Death"—a critical juncture where many groundbreaking ideas fail often due to a lack of financial support.

We discuss why early-stage research often struggles to gain traction and the barriers that prevent innovative ideas from reaching their full potential.

Catalyst is at the forefront of addressing these issues with its decentralized approach. By realigning incentives and democratizing access to research funding, Catalyst fosters collaboration and makes science more inclusive and inviting.

We also explore the role of IP tokens (IPTs) in decentralized science and how they democratize access to and control over scientific advancements. Additionally, we explain Catalyst’s bonding curve, which features dynamic pricing that rewards early backers with lower token prices and ensures fair pricing as more tokens are minted. This system not only incentivizes early support but also maintains a transparent and equitable funding environment.

Tune in to discover the potential of decentralized funding in science and how you can get involved. Whether you're a researcher, an investor, or simply curious about the future of science, this episode is packed with insights you won't want to miss.

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⭐ Timestamps:

0:00 Intro

18:04 Challenges of traditional funding models

19:47 The valley of death; how it impacts research

24:30 Difficulty in getting involved in early-stage ideas

31:20 Using IP as a tool to realign incentives

35:01 Why IP is the ideal use case for bringing ideas on-chain

42:05 Decentralized funding in science

48:44 Introduction to Catalyst

55:26 How Catalyst works

59:36 Catalyst bonding curve explained

1:03:22 The negotiation period in Catalyst fundraising

1:09:22 Final remarks

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If you prefer listening to podcasts on audio apps, feel free to search for "The DeSci Podcast" on Spotify, Google Podcasts & Apple Podcasts. You'll also find all links to the podcast apps below.

If you want to join us on the show as a speaker or have guest ideas, please shoot us an mail at [email protected]

Special thanks to

Jillian: https://twitter.com/JillianCasalini

Benji: https://twitter.com/benjileibo

Kevin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevin-noessler

Learn more about Catalyst here: https://catalyst.molecule.xyz/

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Let's connect:

Website: https://bit.ly/3d6nh2C

X: https://twitter.com/Molecule_dao

Discord: https://discord.com/invite/moleculedao

In this episode, we have the pleasure of hosting Alok Tayi, the co-founder of Vibe Bio.Vibe Bio is a life science company dedicated to investing in biotech firms, with a special focus on rare and overlooked diseases.

In this episode, Alok shares his personal story of how medical conditions in his family led to the creation of Vibe Bio, and how the company aims to identify diseases with unmet needs, leveraging AI to find medicines with the highest chances of providing cures.

We discuss the complexities of drug development, the advantages of DAOs as an organizational structure and common misconceptions within the Biopharma industry. Alok also shares his insights on the transformative role of AI in drug discovery, discussing its utilization, the methods used for training AI models, the issue of AI bias, and the current limitations and challenges faced in leveraging AI to advance drug development.

Feel free to navigate through any of the topics discussed in the podcast using the timestamps below.

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⭐ Timestamps:

0:00 Intro

01:51 What led you to create Vibe

02:52 Diseases Vibe Focuses On

04:37 Complexities in Drug Development

7:49 Advantages of DAOs

12:00 Misconceptions in Academia & the Private Sector

16:53 Areas you’re willing to explore with more funding.

23:59 Utilizing AI tools in Drug Discovery

28:50 Bias in AI

32:54 AI Training Methods

36:58 Limits of AI in Drug Discovery

39:56 Implicit Knowledge in Drug Development

49:30 Outro

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If you prefer listening to podcasts on audio apps, feel free to search for "The DeSci Podcast" on Spotify, Google Podcasts & Apple Podcasts. You'll also find all links to the podcast apps below.

If you want to join us on the show as a speaker or have guest ideas, please shoot us an mail at [email protected]

Special thanks to

Lea: https://twitter.com/lealeata

Alok: https://twitter.com/aloktayi

Learn more about Vibe Bio here: https://vibebio.com/

____

Let's connect:

Website: https://bit.ly/3d6nh2C

X: https://twitter.com/Molecule_dao

Discord: https://discord.com/invite/moleculedao

Welcome to another episode of the DeSci Podcast. Today, we're joined by Justin, Head of Growth at Hippocrat, a collaborative healthcare data protocol that aims to transform healthcare by empowering individuals to take control of their health data through blockchain and zero-knowledge proof technologies.

In this episode, we discuss the importance of data sovereignty, exploring how Hippocrat's innovative approach ensures secure and private data management, enabling safe and transparent data sharing with healthcare providers.

Justin emphasizes the need for decentralized data provision in healthcare, stressing that shifting from centralized to decentralized data management addresses the longstanding issue of individuals lack of control over their health data, which in turn advances personalized healthcare and research.

We also explore Hippocrat's collaboration with Research HUB, aimed at identifying potential populations and regions where Hippocrat's telemedicine application, ‘Hippodoc’, could be effectively deployed to bridge healthcare accessibility gaps.

Feel free to navigate through any of the topics discussed in the podcast using the timestamps below.

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⭐ Timestamps:

0:00 Intro

1:28 About Hippocrat

2:37 Why data sovereignty is important

7:55 The inspiration behind Hippocrat

11:48 Moving from Web 2 to Web 3 healthcare

13:39 How Hippocrat improves Data security

22:27 $HPO token utility and upcoming airdrop

26:58 Collaboration with Research HUB

38:25 How the Hippodoc app works

41:27 Hippocrat role in the DeSci space

45:30 Hippocrat in 10 years

49:18 How to get involved

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If you prefer listening to podcasts on audio apps, feel free to search for "The DeSci Podcast" on Spotify, Google Podcasts & Apple Podcasts. You'll also find all links to the podcast apps below.

If you want to join us on the show as a speaker or have guest ideas, please shoot us an mail at [email protected]

Special thanks to

Ella McCarthy-Page: https://twitter.com/EMcCarthyPage

Justin Kim: (email: [email protected] / telegram: just_in_1)

Special Airdrop for DeSci Podcast listeners: https://gleam.io/cLiQO/100-hippocrat-x-desci-podcast-giveaway

Learn more about Hippocrat here: https://link3.to/hippocrat

____

Let's connect:

Website: https://bit.ly/3d6nh2C

X: https://twitter.com/Molecule_dao

Discord: https://discord.com/invite/moleculedao

In this episode we're joined by Dr. Sönke Bartling, Founder of Blockchain for Science, an initiative that aims to open up science and knowledge creation through web3.

In this episode, we explore Decentralized Science (DeSci) and its potential to revolutionize research, publishing, and innovation! We dive deep into how blockchain technology can transform scholarly publishing by making it more transparent, efficient, and trustworthy.

We also discuss how DeSci can address funding inequality by supporting both high-profile topics, such as longevity research, and smaller yet vital fields. This, in turn, enables DeSci to promote diversity in research and unlock breakthroughs in overlooked areas.

We further discuss how DeSci can revolutionize the peer review process and explore the future of patents in a DeSci landscape, where research is incentivized without hindering collaboration, and how this can lead to more innovative scientific discoveries.

Feel free to navigate through the various topics covered in the Podcast using the timestamps provided below.

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⭐ Timestamps:

0:00 Intro

1:46 Blockchains in the Future of Science and Research

4:25 Blockchain Adoption in Publishing

5:45 Underappreciated Aspects of DeSci

12:06 Radical Guidelines for Web3

17:19 Transitioning more Scientists to DeSci

25:26 What limits Institutional Change with Technology

30:22 Incentivising Foolproof DeSci

33:12 Plausibility and Reproducibility in Peer Review

36:16 Standards for Peer Review

39:14 DeSci for Publishing

40:25 The Private Sector and Academia

43:59 Non-monopolizing Patents with Web3

46:36 Further Questions

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If you prefer listening to podcasts on audio apps, feel free to search for "The DeSci Podcast" on Spotify, Google Podcasts & Apple Podcasts. You'll also find all links to the podcast apps below.

If you want to join us on the show as a speaker or have guest ideas, please shoot us an mail at [email protected]

Special thanks to

Lea Degen: https://twitter.com/lealeata

Dr. Sönke Bartling: https://twitter.com/soenkeba

____

Let's connect:

Website: https://bit.ly/3d6nh2C

X: https://twitter.com/Molecule_dao

Discord: https://discord.com/invite/moleculedao

In this episode, we discuss the problem of declining R&D efficiency with Dr. Jack Scannell, a scientist and entrepreneur who is well known for coining the term “Eroom’s law,” which highlights the decline in pharmaceutical research and development (R&D) productivity over several decades.

In this episode, Jack sheds light on the root causes of this decline, beginning with a critique of the poor quality of diagnosis surrounding the R&D productivity problem.

He also talks about the challenges in accurately measuring progress in drug research, highlighting the "measurement problem" in the drug industry. Jack suggests adopting a model akin to the "Stern Review” to improve the diagnosis of these challenges.

Jack also addresses topics such as the shift in the frequency of serendipitous drug discoveries, the Eroom’s law article, the entanglement of science, money and drug development and many more.

Feel free to navigate through any of the topics discussed in the Podcast using the timestamps below.

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⭐ Timestamps:

0:00 Intro

01:40 Poor quality of diagnosis of the R&D productivity problem

04:01 The measurement problem

09:21 Chesterton’s fence of R&D

14:38 Science, Drug development, Money.

20:46 The role of Serendipity in drug discovery

26:34 Economics in the drug industry.

34:43 Implicit knowledge within Biotech

41:43 Eroom's Law paper

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If you prefer listening to podcasts on audio apps, feel free to search for "The DeSci Podcast" on Spotify, Google Podcasts & Apple Podcasts. You'll also find all links to the podcast apps below.

If you want to join us on the show as a speaker or have guest ideas, please shoot us an mail at [email protected]

Special thanks to

Lea Degen: https://twitter.com/lealeata

Jack Scannell: https://twitter.com/JackScannell13

____

Let's connect:

Website: https://bit.ly/3d6nh2C

X: https://twitter.com/Molecule_dao

Discord: https://discord.com/invite/moleculedao

Welcome to another episode of the DeSci Podcast. Today, we were joined by Jeffrey Koury, Director & Business Development Lead at ResearchHub, and Jonathan Heppner, Marketing & Social Media Lead.

ResearchHub is a platform designed to accelerate the pace of scientific research by providing a modern mobile and web application where people can collaborate on scientific research more efficiently. It aims to make scientific research accessible, collaborative, and prioritized for everyone.

In this episode, we delved into the shortcomings of the current scientific research model and the need to make science open to everyone.

Our dialogue centered on advocating for a shift from the traditional model towards a more inclusive and transparent system. Central to this shift is the necessity of building better incentive structures, which would drive collaboration among scientists and facilitate accelerated progress in scientific research.

Feel free to navigate through any of the topics discussed in the Podcast using the timestamps below.

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⭐ Timestamps:

0:00 Intro

1:30 What is Research Hub?

03:05 Onboarding process.

05:40 What drove your interest in building Research Hub?

12:16 Past efforts in promoting open science

18:32 The role of Research Hub in scientific literature

26:19 How Research Hub differs from traditional journals

35:14 Public versus Anonymous Peer Review

39:20 Most contentious topics within your field

48:50 Ensuring high quality science

52:35 Why books are important

59:13 How to get involved

59:47 How Research Hub has evolved over the years

1:05:13 Outro

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If you prefer listening to podcasts on audio apps, feel free to search for "The DeSci Podcast" on Spotify, Google Podcasts & Apple Podcasts. You'll also find all links to the podcast apps below.

If you want to join us on the show as a speaker or have guest ideas, please shoot us an mail at [email protected]

Special thanks to

Lea Degen: https://twitter.com/lealeata

Jeffrey Koury: https://twitter.com/jeffyfish9

Jonathan Heppner: https://twitter.com/EnactJohnny

____

Let's connect:

Website: https://bit.ly/3d6nh2C

X: https://twitter.com/Molecule_dao

Discord: https://discord.com/invite/moleculedao

Today we are delighted to host Seemay Chow, Co-founder and CEO of Arcadia Science, a for-profit research institute with a specific focus on novel model organisms that haven't been traditionally studied in the lab and translating discoveries into commercial ventures.

In this episode, we discuss Arcadia’s mission, structure and approach, emphasizing the importance of providing scientists with the context needed to understand the practical applications of their research. Seemay explains how this approach fosters a different kind of creativity among researchers, thus increasing the likelihood of research success.

We also explore the limitations researchers face in the traditional setting while further highlighting the strengths and weaknesses of Academia and industry. Other topics we touched on include notions of diversity in science, strategies for spotting the best talents and ideas to fund, and many more.

Feel free to navigate through the various topics covered in the Podcast using the timestamps provided below.

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⭐ Timestamps:

0:00 Intro.

0:49 Effects of running a for-profit venture on Arcadia’s structure.

3:05 What is Arcadia?

7:35 Researchers limitations in Academia.

11:45 Academia vs the private sector.

16:21 Insights gained from building Arcadia.

27:54 Arcadia structure.

30:38 Diversity in science.

35:24 Strategies for discovering the best talents.

43:28 Contextualizing science.

49:50 Outro.

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If you prefer listening to podcasts on audio apps, feel free to search for "The DeSci Podcast" on Spotify, Google Podcasts & Apple Podcasts. You'll also find all links to the podcast apps below.

If you want to join us on the show as a speaker or have guest ideas, please shoot us an mail at [email protected]

Special thanks to

Lea Degen: https://twitter.com/lealeata

Seemay Chou: https://twitter.com/seemaychou

____

Let's connect:

Website: https://bit.ly/3d6nh2C

X: https://twitter.com/Molecule_dao

Discord: https://discord.com/invite/moleculedao