Molecule Ecosystem, April 2023
ValleyDAO's $700k Raise, bio.xyz Demo Day Highlights, and Research Projects We're Excited About!
In this edition we take a look at ValleyDAO’s $700k fundraise, we provide a recap of bio.xyz Demo Day and the research projects cohort 1 BioDAOs have in the pipeline, and how we’re hacking IP in Montenegro.
Recapping bio.xyz Demo Day - 27 April 2023
The bio.xyz Demo Day showcased and celebrated the graduation of the biotech DAOs (BioDAOs) from bio.xyz’s first cohort. The event featured presentations from various speakers, including an overview of bio.xyz by Vincent Weisser, an exploration of the opportunities in women's health by Laura Minquini from AthenaDAO, a discussion on synthetic biology by Albert Anis, an introduction to hair loss research by Andrew Verbinnen and Andrew Bakst, a talk by PsyDAO’s Chris Byrnes on the democratization of mental therapeutics research, and a demonstration of how we could potentially freeze time to delay death with CryoDAO.
The event concluded with a Q&A session in the Discord servers of each DAO, answering questions about roadmaps, how to get involved and a general meet-and-greet of the different communities. You can watch the replay of Demo Day here.
The research being funded by these BioDAOs
During the bio.xyz Demo Day, each BioDAO talked more about the research projects they either funded or currently have in their pipeline. Below is a brief recap and you can also watch their presentations here.
AthenaDAO
AthenaDAO's first funding round is focused on tackling the issue of ovarian aging. They have secured exclusive licensing rights to the intellectual property generated by Dr. Mario D. Cordero as he studies the role of the cGAS-STING pathway and senescence in ovarian aging. Cellular senescence, meaning the cessation of cell division, is a hallmark of aging. AthenaDAO has also recognized the importance of funding a new generation of researchers, and is close to minting their first IP-NFT with PhD student Lu Dong at the University of Singapore. Dong has previously published in the scientific journal Nature Cell Research. They will be hosting their Global Community Meetings around the world this May, leading up to their IP-NFT, so be sure to join. The tour cities include Paris, London, Berlin, New York, Lisbon, Toronto, and Zuzalu. This June AthenaDAO is launching their second round of projects submissions focused on PCOS and Endometriosis. To learn more go to their linktree.
CryoDAO
CryoDAO is currently in discussions to provide funding for two cutting-edge research projects. First up is Dr Ramón Risco, who will be uniformly rewarming cryogenically preserved human organs using ultrasound technology. The long term goal is to achieve rewarming of human brains. Their second project is with Aschwin De Wolf who will be administering combination medication therapies to patients prior to cryopreservation to improve the quality of cryopreservation. This initial step is not standardized across labs and thus represents an important opportunity to improve cryogenics across the board. Looking to their upcoming dealflow, CryoDAO is in talks with Tanya Jones and Keinice Bio, who have already achieved success in perfusing pig hearts with helium to reduce thermal stress in the tissue during freezing. Pig hearts provide a good model due to their similarity to human hearts. CryoDAO is also considering supporting Laura Janks, an immunologist at Sanofi who is switching gears to cryopreservation and Gregory M. Fahy, an industry stalwart who aims to demonstrate that long-term memory retention in mouse brains is not affected by the cryopreservation process, which has been previously demonstrated in nematodes.
HairDAO
HairDAO has established a strong partnership with Dr. Ralf Paus from Cutaneon. In collaboration with Dr. Paus, HairDAO successfully minted their first IP-NFT which provided funding to investigate the effect of topical application of thyroid hormones (specifically T3 and T4) on human scalp skin. Dr. Paus hypothesizes that the application of these hormones could stimulate the production of growth factors, increase metabolism, and activate stem cells, ultimately leading to hair regrowth. If this treatment proves successful, it could hit the market in the near future. HairDAO is currently evaluating five research projects, including more work with Dr. Paus, a community-generated study design, and top hair loss companies. HairDAO is looking to fund their next project within the next two months.
PsyDAO
PsyDAO is developing two lighthouse projects in the field of psychedelics, one partnering with Robin Carhart-Harris and another being discussed with Amanda Feilding and the Beckley Foundation. Professor Robin Carhart-Harris, one of the industry's most well-known scientists, will research MDMA-induced altered states of consciousness using fMRI, MMBS, and experience sampling. Discussions with the Beckley Foundation are on an LSD-related project that explores psychedelic mysticism and builds on Feilding's groundbreaking work in cerebral circulation, for which she was awarded the UN Science Pioneering Award in 2022. In addition, PsyDAO has a strong pipeline of homegrown research to fund amongst our own community. Stay tuned for PsyDAO's upcoming NFT sale of fMRI images of the psychedelicized brain, combined with artistic metadata overlays.
ValleyDAO
ValleyDAO's first IP-NFT is currently in the final stage of negotiation, and is set to be minted with a ticket size of $270,000. The project is being led by Dr. Rodrigo Ledesma Amaro at Imperial College London, who is working on engineering oleaginous yeast to produce palm oil sustainably. The use of yeast is expected to drastically reduce manufacturing costs compared to traditional palm oil production methods. ValleyDAO has taken an equity stake in a spinout formed at Denmark's Technical University, collaborating with Dr. Pablo Ivan Nikel and Dr. Mariela Mezzina, who are focused on creating high-performance fluorinated biomaterials. Although their team had already developed valuable intellectual property, they needed assistance in realizing its commercial potential. ValleyDAO supported them by developing a business case for their IP, and aided in the recruitment of co-founders and advisors to guide their progress. Furthermore, ValleyDAO has been instrumental in assisting Prof. Jean-Loup Faulon and Dr. Joan Herisson at Evry-val-d'Essonne University with spinning out their SynbioCAD platform, which utilizes AI to make engineering biology more efficient, making them ValleyDAO's second portfolio startup.
To learn more about each out these five BioDAO’s funding focus, read our latest blog post here.
Molecule of the Month
Welcome to Molecule of the Month, a new section where we highlight current and innovative research that excites us. We hope you enjoy!
Bone regeneration decreases as we age, especially in people with bone disorders such as osteoporosis. In an effort to combat this issue, researchers from the Biotechnology Center (BIOTEC), the Medical Faculty of TU Dresden, and the Max Bergmann Center of Biomaterials (MBC) collaborated to develop novel bio-inspired molecules that promote bone repair in mice, indicating a promising treatment for humans in the future.
There is great power in taking a multidisciplinary approach, as they have. Given prior knowledge of the molecular pathways that regulate bone formation and repair, they identified two proteins that impede bone repair (sclerostin and dickkopf-1). Using computer simulations, they then designed molecules that could interfere with the action of both proteins. The significant challenge was finding molecules that acted on both proteins simultaneously. The newly-designed molecules were subsequently incorporated into biomaterials and applied locally to bone defects in mice. Results showed that the introduction of these molecules led to a 50% improvement in bone healing, an important factor in overall bone regeneration.
To learn more, click here.
BioDAO spotlight: ValleyDAO Raises $700k
🎉Congratulations to ValleyDAO on raising $700,000 in their recent community & strategic partner round! As one of bio.xyz’s cohort 1 DAOs, it is exciting to see the support for their mission to decentralize synbio research funding & translation.
This funding strengthens ValleyDAO's commitment to supporting climate and food synthetic biology research, driving sustainable solutions for our planet and global food systems. Their first governance proposal (VIP-1: ValleyDAO Tokenomics Proposal) is now live if you want to learn more about their tokenomics and vesting schedule, check it out!
To read more and get involved in ValleyDAO, visit their Discord, website or Twitter!
bio.xyz Cohort 2: Applications Are Now Open!
BioDAOs offer a new paradigm to biotech by increasing funding accessibility, encouraging collaboration, and potentially speeding up innovation. These decentralized platforms aim to create transparency in decision-making and funding processes while connecting a global network of scientists, researchers, and stakeholders. By pooling resources, knowledge, and funding, BioDAOs could better align incentives between various parties involved in projects using blockchain-based tokens and smart contracts. As BioDAOs continue to develop, they might contribute to a more efficient and inclusive biotechnology landscape.
bio.xyz is looking for DAOs focusing on underserved research areas, strong online communities, and fields with existing commercial products. Examples of promising BioDAO applications include ADHD and nootropics, sleep, and nutrition. However, we encourage applicants with DAO concepts outside these areas as well. By participating in Cohort 2, you will have the opportunity to shape the future of scientific research through BioDAOs, fostering a more democratized and innovative research landscape. Apply now to be part of this transformative movement and collaborate with like-minded innovators. ‘DAOpreneurs’ can apply here and if you want to become a mentor in bio.xyz, you can apply here.
In Other DeSci News
Forbes x DeSci
Forbes recently published an insightful article examining the growing DeSci movement, highlighting the potential of decentralized science to address critical issues in scientific research. The piece explores how blockchain technology can help solve problems like funding constraints, collaboration barriers, and bureaucratic inefficiencies, while also considering possible challenges and limitations. As part of the DeSci ecosystem, we invite you to check out this article that delves into the opportunities of the DeSci movement.
What’s happening at Zuzalu this month
First of all, what is Zuzalu? It’s basically a really cool pop-up city in Montenegro with 200 core residents from March 25 until May 25. The main idea is to focus on learning, longevity, well-being, and self-sustaining communities. Some of the events at Zuzalu include events on synthetic biology, privacy tech, public goods, longevity, governance, etc. It is designed to enable individuals to take ownership of their envisioned ideal city.
We will also be hacking away on reimagining intellectual property with the IP-NFT at Zuzalu.
Here are some of the events we’ll be at this month together with our friends at VitaDAO, AthenaDAO and more:
May 7 - 11
May 10
May 11 - 12
May 12 - 15
May 23
The Future and Sustainability of Zuzalu Workshop
May 24
Molecule is hiring!
We are currently hiring for the following priority positions, and more to come:
Office (and Vibe) Manager - Berlin based
UI Designer - Remote / Ideally Berlin based
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 our Discord at Ezanne#0386.
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 incubate and launch more BioDAOs, fund more IP-NFTs, fractionalize our first IP-NFT, and continue to connect web3 to the real world - Let’s build!