Molecule Ecosystem, June 2023
Special Edition: Molecule launches Intellectual Property Tokens (IPTs), VitaDAO's VITA-FAST Token Launch, DeSci.Berlin & EthCC 🇫🇷
This month, we’ve held back on publishing our newsletter until now, and with good reason. In this special edition, we’re sharing more about Molecule’s Intellectual Property Tokens (IPTs), the VITA-FAST token launch by VitaDAO, DeSci events during EthCC and announcing that DeSci.Berlin workshop and speaker applications are now open!
Molecule Introduces Intellectual Property Tokens (IPTs)
This month, Molecule announced IP tokens (IPTs), a revolution in how scientific discoveries are valued and transacted. With IPTs, we’ve turned biotech intellectual property into composable digital assets. IPTs make it possible for everyone to fund and benefit from scientific research, essentially meaning that anyone can now own a piece of a pharmaceutical IP, and have a say in the direction of an innovative experiment.
IPTs are IP governance tokens. They are synthesized using IP-NFTs, a digital contract that gives the holder the right to a piece of intellectual property. IPTs govern IP pools: pools of IP and R&D data from scientific research, shared sets of IP-related resources meant to benefit a community by facilitating cooperative management and commercialization of collective IP. Tyler Golato touches on IPTs and the macro-economics of IP in drug development here.
To learn more about IPTs, read our product announcement here. For a more in-depth look, read our IPT documentation here.
VitaDAO's VITA-FAST Token Launch
VitaDAO, the global community advancing research and development in geroscience research, has announced the launch of its VITA-FAST tokens. This marks a significant milestone in the field of decentralized science (DeSci), providing the first-ever opportunity for token holders to directly influence longevity research. The initial token sale was oversubscribed by 1700%, receiving $620k in bids.
How was VITA-FAST launched? By using a newly launched crowdsale platform developed by Molecule, a strategic contributor to VitaDAO.
Which research project was used? An autophagy research project by The Korolchuk Lab at Newcastle University in the UK, led by renowned cellular biologist Dr. Viktor Korolchuk.
Announcing DeSci.Berlin, in Partnership with Funding the Commons | 8-9 September 2023
This year, DeSci.Berlin and Funding the Commons are joining forces to host their next editions a few days before Berlin Blockchain Week.
On the 8th, DeSci.Berlin takes center stage, orchestrating intensive and insightful workshops and talks by key players in the field, all focused on the conceptualization and success of Biotech DAOs. On the 9th, Funding the Commons takes the reins, featuring a unique emphasis on builders and interactive programming.
Here are helpful shortcuts for the event:
Secure your spot and get a ticket to the 2-day event here.
Apply to be a speaker/workshop presenter here.
Apply for 1/5 DeSci.Berlin Travel Grant’s here.
Apply to be a paid Volunteer here.
Other events:
DeSci Workshop Paris - 15 - 16 July 🇫🇷
AthenaDAO x Foresight Cocktail - 16 July 🇫🇷
AthenaDAO x bio.xyz Cocktail - 17 July 🇫🇷
Monthly DeSci Meetups in Berlin - 9 Aug, 4 Oct 🇩🇪
Visit DeSci.Global to get the full DeSci Calendar or to list your DeSci event! 🌎
Our bimonthly Berlin DeSci meetups are taking place on Wednesdays, and are held at Full Node, 85 Skalitzer Str. This meetups allows for scientists, researchers, and DeSci innovators to connect and creates an opportunity to explore decentralized science’s potential.
IP-NFTs on the Horizon
AthenaDAO
Ovarian aging threatens the genesis of future generations. Luckily for us, we have AthenaDAO! The bio.xyz alumna will mint their first IP-NFT, funding Dr Mario Cordero’s investigation into the role of the cGas STING pathways and senescent cells in ovarian aging. Not enough is known about the causes of ovarian aging - things such as genetics, BMI, environmental factors, therapies and health conditions all play a role, but the underlying mechanisms have not been adequately described. The knowledge gained from Mario’s research could inform future drug development surrounding ovarian aging.
I think what makes me excited is that it's something that is truly overlooked even when you think of longevity. Not a lot of research is focused on reproductive longevity.
Laura Minquini - AthenaDAO Core Lead
P.S. Check out Volume II of AthenaDAO’s Reproductive Health Report to get the rundown on Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) and Endometriosis.
ValleyDAO
ValleyDAO is also set to mint their first IP-NFT, with a ticket size of £228 000! The DAO, who recently graduated from the bio.xyz program, has signed a Sponsored Research Agreement with Imperial College London to fund Dr Rodrigo Ledesma Amaro. Funding from the DAO will support Rodrigo as he optimizes lipid synthesis in oleaginous yeast. As it stands, edible oil for food production is sourced from animals and plants, both of which are unsustainable and leave a lasting damaging impact on the environment. By optimizing microbial lipid sources, Rodrgio and ValleyDAO hope to provide an eco-friendly alternative to these sources. We’re beyond excited to cheer on ValleyDAO in their mission to enable transformative scientific advancements that promise a sustainable and resilient future.
Molecule of the Month
This section of our newsletter usually focuses on small molecules, but some news is too interesting to pass by.
Waiting on an organ transplant list can be a tortuous experience. There are so many variables that need to align, all under the immense pressure of a slowly ticking clock, before you are even able to receive an organ donation. But what if this wasn’t the case? In a landmark event, a rat kidney has successfully been vitrified, rewarmed, and transplanted into another rat. This is not the first time this process has been successful; in 1984 Fahy and colleagues successfully transplanted a vitrified rabbit kidney. However, they were never able to replicate their results, nor was anyone else able to - until now. Five rats have successfully adapted to life with a kidney that was once cryogenically frozen. While the kidneys initially fared worse than their fresher counterparts, over time the difference between the two shrank. The paper, published in Nature last month, detailed the team’s unique ‘nanowarming’ technique, which prevented tissue damage as the organ was resurrected. We’re still a ways off from having frozen organ banks in hospitals ready to combat organ disease, but this is certainly a step in the right direction.
If cryogenics has piqued your interest, we suggest you contact CryoDAO.
Be a Part of bio.xyz's Second Cohort - Now Accepting Applications!
bio.xyz is currently accepting applications for the second cohort of the BioDAO accelerator. The program officially kicks off this fall, with applications closing August 15th. We're particularly interested in DAOs focusing on ADHD & Nootropics, Sleep, Nutrition, Oncology, Neurology, and tech-focused areas like Decentralized Clinical Trials & AI/ML Drug Discovery. Cohort 2 participants are eligible to receive a $100k grant and hands-on support over the period of several months. You can find more information and inspiration in our blog post.
To apply, click here!
Molecule is hiring!
We are currently hiring for the following priority positions, and more to come:
Senior FE Engineer - Remote
Biotech Operations Manager - Europe/Remote
Director - Business Development & New Ventures - US/Remote
Tokenomics Lead - Berlin/Europe/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 Ézanne at ezanne@molecule.to.
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 new era of drug discovery, our focus for this year is to incubate and launch more BioDAOs, equip BioDAOs with all the tools they need to source the most promising research and fund more IP-NFTs, synthesize IP Tokens out of IP-NFTs, and continue to connect web3 to the real world - Let’s build!