Crypto-Powered Science: How Blockchain & DAOs Are Reimagining Longevity Research | 97
Feb 6, 2025
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Benji Leibowitz, Co-founder and CEO of DeepMind, discusses how blockchain can revolutionize biotech research funding. He explains the concept of tokenized intellectual property and how DAOs can enhance trust and collaboration in scientific communities. The talk emphasizes innovative methods in longevity research, like the rotor rod test for mouse endurance. Leibowitz also shares insights on the future of funding through cryptocurrency and the role of community engagement in fostering scientific innovation.
Tokenizing intellectual property can streamline biotech collaboration by facilitating easy transactions and reducing the need for legal intermediaries.
Decentralized Autonomous Organizations empower token holders to collectively govern IP, aligning funding decisions with the interests of participants.
The podcast highlights challenges in gaining scientist trust regarding blockchain, emphasizing transparency and successful project demonstrations to encourage participation.
Deep dives
Tokenization of Intellectual Property
The podcast discusses the concept of tokenizing intellectual property (IP) to streamline collaboration and reduce costs associated with traditional licensing agreements. By converting IP into cryptographic tokens, parties can facilitate easier transactions without the need for legal intermediary involvement. This transformation allows collaborators to share ownership of discoveries proportionate to the number of tokens they hold, significantly lowering the barriers to enter collaborative research and development. The discussion highlights that this approach could potentially revolutionize the biotech sector by fostering innovation and collaboration among different organizations.
Enhancing Collaboration Through DAO Structures
Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (DAOs) are introduced as a system that empowers token holders to make collective decisions regarding IP governance. The DAO structure allows participants to have proportional voting rights based on their token holdings, giving them a say in how research is funded and what projects to pursue. This creates a mechanism where funding can directly be linked to the interests of the token holders, thus ensuring aligned incentives among collaborators. The podcast emphasizes that this governance model not only simplifies the decision-making process but also enhances shared responsibility for the outcomes of research endeavors.
Fundraising and Financial Incentives in Research
The episode delves into innovative fundraising strategies enabled by the tokenization of IP, where various stakeholders can raise money through the sale of tokens. By encouraging participation in research funding via token purchases, researchers can access resources without traditional fundraising hurdles. Successful experiments can potentially generate revenue through transaction fees from token trading, further funding future research. The hosts illustrate this mechanism using specific examples, noting that a significant amount of funding has been raised using this model, which showcases its feasibility and potential for widespread adoption in the scientific community.
Challenges in Trust and Perception
A significant challenge discussed is the skepticism surrounding cryptocurrencies and blockchain technologies, particularly among the scientific community. The podcast acknowledges that many scientists may be hesitant to embrace new models due to past negative experiences with scams and lack of understanding of blockchain mechanisms. Building trust is emphasized as a critical step in gaining acceptance, requiring transparency in how funds are allocated and research is conducted. The hosts argue that as successful projects emerge, demonstrating the benefits of this funding model, more researchers may be inclined to participate and contribute to innovation in longevity research.
Exploring Future Directions and Experiment Designs
The podcast concludes by discussing the exciting future directions in research funded through the outlined models, particularly focusing on upcoming experiments involving longevity and healthspan. One innovative concept is to perform short-term experiments that are both affordable and easily understood, thus engaging a broader audience. The hosts discuss various potential interventions, such as using mouse models to evaluate the effectiveness of certain compounds, and how these experiments could further validate the claims made by token holders. As the friction in research funding decreases and engagement increases, there's optimism that new insights into longevity can be advanced rapidly.
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In this video I sit down with the COO of Molecule AG, Benji Leibowitz, to discuss how blockchain and cryptocurrency can be applied to intellectual property (IP) in biotech research, particularly in funding longevity studies. The discussion covers concepts like DAOs (Decentralized Autonomous Organizations), tokenized intellectual property, and how this model might revolutionize scientific collaboration and fundraising.
0:00 What is Molecule AG?
3:16 How Tokenized IP Works
10:30 Challenges and Trust in Crypto
25:00 Introduction to Pump.Science
39:05 The Road to Mice Experiments
42:26 Future of Pump.Science and Scaling Up
54:26 Vision for the Future
Producers: Tara Mei, Nicholas Arapis
Video Editor: Jacob Keliikoa
DISCLAIMER: The information provided on the Optispan podcast is intended solely for general educational purposes and is not meant to be, nor should it be construed as, personalized medical advice. No doctor-patient relationship is established by your use of this channel. The information and materials presented are for informational purposes only and are not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. We strongly advise that you consult with a licensed healthcare professional for all matters concerning your health, especially before undertaking any changes based on content provided by this channel. The hosts and guests on this channel are not liable for any direct, indirect, or other damages or adverse effects that may arise from the application of the information discussed. Medical knowledge is constantly evolving; therefore, the information provided should be verified against current medical standards and practices.
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Hi, I'm Matt Kaeberlein. I spent the first few decades of my career doing scientific research into the biology of aging, trying to understand the finer details of how humans age in order to facilitate translational interventions that promote healthspan and improve quality of life. Now I want to take some of that knowledge out of the lab and into the hands of people who can really use it.
On this podcast I talk about all things aging and healthspan, from supplements and nutrition to the latest discoveries in longevity research. My goal is to lift the veil on the geroscience and longevity world and help you apply what we know to your own personal health trajectory. I care about quality science and will always be honest about what I don't know. I hope you'll find these episodes helpful!
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