In this edition, we explore HairDAO’s first IP-NFT (and their token launch), having Prof. Vera Gorbunova (University of Rochester) on our podcast, we give a glimpse into the launch of the IP-NFT V3, our presence at DeSci Denver, and recap VitaDAO’s talk on DeSci: The path to 2030 & beyond with Pfizer - Welcome back!

The DeSci Podcast

Vera Gorbunova joined us on The DeSci Podcast. Vera Gorbunova is an endowed Professor of Biology at the University of Rochester and co-director of the Rochester Aging Research Center. She stepped down as co-editor of the journal Aging Cell, along with the remaining three editors in chiefs, due to their increased workloads without assistance. Many people then reached out to her stating that they need such a journal, so she and her colleagues co-founded a new journal called Aging Biology, run by scientists for scientists. On the podcast she talked about the problems of the current scientific system, the partnership between her laboratory and VitaDAO, and about the fascinating research that she is currently carrying out.

The IP-NFT V3

In late December 2022, we launched the IP-NFT V2 in closed beta. Building on the successful components of the IP-NFT V1, V2 added new features to meet the increasing demand for innovative funding solutions in the DeSci ecosystem. Here’s what the V2 is all about:

It allows DAOs to mint IP-NFTs thanks to a new minting front-end.

It is built with modularity in mind to enable DeSci devs to tailor it for their own dedicated use cases using their own infrastructure.
It opens up the possibility of fractionalisation in the future.

Now, we are in the process of developing V3. This version will:

involve significant enhancements to the user experience of the IP-NFT,
include improvements to the minting frontend, enabling users to easily create their own assignment agreements and legal contracts, and
offer simplified access to mint passes and previews of the final NFT output.

Below is just a sneak peak:

More exciting details about V3 will be shared soon, so stay tuned!

Ecosystem Spotlight

EthDenver:

DeSci Denver and DAODenver is currently taking place at EthDenver, and some of our team members and various bio.xyz cohort DAOs are also present, giving insightful talks and sharing their perspectives on the bio.xyz ecosystem, longevity, the future of hair loss research, women’s health, synthetic biology for solving climate problems and more!

To follow these talks, we invite you to tune in to the livestream. To learn more about the event and program, please visit the DeSci Denver website here. Watch the recording of AthenaDAO, HairDAO & bio.xyz’s talks at yesterday at DAODenver:

Is DeSci going mainstream?

The largest crypto YouTube channel (1,45 million subscribers) recently released a video on DeSci, signalling that it is becoming increasingly more accessible and understood by the general public! Just as the scientific community needs to be onboarded into blockchain, so too the blockchain community needs to be onboarded into science, and videos like these are a great first step.

VitaDAO <> Michael Baran (Pfizer)

In a discussion that went mostly unnoticed during the 2nd Crypto meets Longevity symposium, Max Unfriend from VitaDAO hosted Michael Baran (MBA, PhD, Executive Director and Partner at Pfizer Ventures). They discussed some fascinating topics. These included pharma’s role in longevity, creative destruction of venture capital, the trend toward decentralization, and how the future of VC will be decentralized. They also discussed DeSci gaining recognition in mainstream scientific forums, Pfizer's focus, 2021 longevity clinical trials, longevity deal flow, and DeSci's path to 2030 and beyond. The conversation concluded with an insightful Q&A session.

We highly encourage you to take the time to listen to this engaging and informative discussion here.

The latest from bio.xyz

See AthenaDAO, HairDAO, ValleyDAO and PsyDAO pitch their DAOs and traction - RSVP for bio.xyz’s Demo Day on the 23rd of March! During this online event, you'll see the culmination of progress and growth our first cohort has made. We're inviting investors, patients and community members to attend! Get your free ticket here!

The week prior to demo day there will also be a community call where we’ll have a fireside chat with our DAOs, discuss the BioDAO Bible and give a sneak peak of what you can expect from Demo Day.

HairDAO

A year ago, HairDAO launched their whitepaper. Today, they are funding real-world impactful hair loss research with the most well-known hair researcher in the world, Prof. Ralf Paus. For $75k, HairDAO will gain access to the initial data from Dr. Ralf Paus’ lab CUTANEON. Then, based on the results, HairDAO may opt to test combinations of T3/T4 thyroid hormone at different dosages for an additional $50k. Not only has this been the first IP-NFT coming out of the bio.xyz pipeline, but HairDAO is also the first BioDAO after VitaDAO to be transacting an IP-NFT.

To read more on HairDAO and Prof. Paus’ research project, visit Molecule’s blogpost here.

Watch the transfer ceremony replay:

HairDAO also officially launched the closed beta version of the Patient Portal to 70+ testers. The Portal allows community members to upload genomic data, treatment protocols, and photos to track hair regrowth. More info at: https://patient.hairdao.xyz. The Portal will provide valuable insight into which treatments are actually working and could warrant more formalized trials.

🎉 Earlier this week HairDAO also launched their token, “$HAIR.” Any token holder holding at least 1 “$HAIR” can already vote in their first token gated governance proposal, HIP1. Join their Discord to find out more!

HairDAO 💈 @HairDAO_

💈HAIR Auction Complete💈 Our goal was to raise $50k...instead we raised $285k exclusively from our core community 🤩🙏🥰 The message is clear: The people want their HAIR

AthenaDAO

For IWD2023, AthenaDAO is having their first seminar featuring research that could revolutionize health outcomes for women. This seminar is taking place on Thursday, March 9th, 5pm CET. To attend, register here.

AthenaDAO is also looking for professional contributors! If you interested to make a positive impact in women's health research and funding then AthenaDAO is the perfect community for you to join! As a decentralized collective of researchers, funders, and advocates, AthenaDAO is dedicated to advancing women's health research, education, and funding through collaborative and innovative approaches.

Join them as a contributing professional in this important mission to drive positive change in the world of women's health! To explore projects where you can contribute your skills and experience with AthenaDAO, join their Discord, reach them through DMs on Twitter, or reach out to Ezanne (Ezanne#0386) on DMs in Discord to navigate you to the right founding member!

If you want to learn more about AthenaDAOs mission, subscribe to their newsletter where they share insightful pieces on IVF, Artificial wombs and reproductive health!

ValleyDAO

ValleyDAO will be launching their governance token ‘$GROW’ in early April in a fair and transparent public auction. The token will be used for voting on important matters such as compensating contributors, enacting a governance framework and rules, electing work group leaders, selecting which research projects they fund and ultimately deciding how resulting IP-NFTs are sub-licensed or commercialized. If you’d like to stay informed about the token launch then fill out this form.

PsyDAO

PsyDAO funded its first alchemist grantee through their Alchemist Grants program. PsyDAO’s first grantee is Guy William Fincham from the University of Sussex. His research focuses on the effects of breathwork on health and wellbeing, infused with awe and conviction after a profound personal experience during a guided workshop on breathwork as psychedelic therapy. PsyDAO eagerly anticipates more publications from Guy and his team as they explore the potential of breathwork in improving overall wellbeing.

PsyDAO’s Alchemist Grants are micro-grants for scientists, students, artists and creators in the psychedelic space. You can find the application form on their website here and to stay up to date with their workings, follow them on Twitter here.

Molecule is Hiring!

We are currently hiring for the following priority positions, and more to come:

VP of Marketing - Remote
VP of Operations - Berlin based
UI Designer - Remote

To learn more about these positions, visit our careers page here. New hires receive all required equipment, a competitive compensation package, and a pfp NFT of their choice, in line with our policy.

Should you wish to apply, discuss any of the positions or refer someone, please feel free to reach out to Ezanne at ezanne@molecule.to or on Discord at Ezanne#0386. For any successful referral on senior hires, we’re offering a 2 ETH bounty!

Thanks for Reading!

If you enjoyed this read, subscribe to our newsletter and stay updated as the ecosystem grows. Please reach out to us with any questions or ideas, visit our website, or join our Discord to interact directly with our team. We’re really looking forward to joining forces with our community to create a world where patients directly fund researchers developing the next therapeutic breakthrough they need and building an open, inclusive, and collaborative ecosystem.

As we continue to work towards a different era of drug discovery, our focus for this year is to grow our team, incubate and launch more BioDAOs, fund more IP-NFTs, expand our footprint, and continue to connect DeSci to the real world - Let’s build!

Molecule’s Newsletter

HairDAO mints their first IP-NFT and is…