145: "Decentralized Science 101: Defining DeSci with the Experts"

In this highlight reel episode of Grow Everything, hosts Erum Azeez and Karl Schmieder dive deep into the rapidly evolving world of decentralized science (DeSci). Featuring expert insights from Albert Anis, Jocelyn Pearl, Michael Fisher, and Laura Minquinin, this episode explores how DeSci is revolutionizing the way research is funded, shared, and governed — far beyond traditional academic systems. You’ll hear how blockchain, bioDAOs, and decentralized funding models are enabling faster, more collaborative innovation across the life sciences. Whether you're a researcher, founder, or biotech enthusiast, this conversation unpacks the tools, values, and infrastructure reshaping the future of scientific discovery. From autonomous agents designing experiments to the Solana-based $BIO token, this episode distills cutting-edge developments into a compelling introduction to the DeSci movement — and why it matters now more than ever.

Grow Everything brings the bioeconomy to life. Hosts Karl Schmieder and Erum Azeez Khan share stories and interview the leaders and influencers changing the world by growing everything. Biology is the oldest technology. And it can be engineered. What are we growing?

Learn more at www.messaginglab.com/groweverything

Chapters:

• (00:00:15) Welcome to the Grow Everything Podcast
• (00:00:44) Travels and reading Bossy Pants
• (00:01:34) Highlighting September as Blood Cancer Awareness Month
• (00:02:20) Innovations in biopharma and cancer therapies like CAR T
• (00:02:53) The science of how sleep flushes waste from the brain
• (00:04:07) A deep dive into sulforaphane for cognitive benefits
• (00:05:07) The challenge of getting effective quantities of molecules from food
• (00:06:20) Introducing Decentralized Science (DeSci)
• (00:07:05) Why DeSci is important: Democratizing science and making it accessible
• (00:09:08) DeSci's role as an alternative funding mechanism for scientific research
• (00:10:54) Defining DeSci as science improved by the blockchain
• (00:11:27) How token incentives work in DeSci research projects
• (00:12:56) Contrasting DeSci's crowdsourcing model with traditional science funding
• (00:14:43) Defining a DAO (Decentralized Autonomous Organization)
• (00:15:46) The origins of decentralized science and ValleyDAO
• (00:18:35) Explaining DeSci by comparing it to decentralized finance (DeFi)
• (00:19:40) How the broken scientific publishing model needs disruption
• (00:20:50) Breaking open the "black box of biotech" with LabDAO
• (00:22:40) DeSci as a tool to fund overlooked areas of research
• (00:22:57) How DeSci addresses major problems like publishing and reproducibility
• (00:23:43) The mission of Athena DAO to fund women's health research
• (00:25:33) DeSci movement
• (00:26:09) The idea of a DeSci-funded cloud lab for global collaboration

Episode Links:

Topics Covered: 

biotech beauty, space biotech, skin care, biomanufacturing, longevity, extremophiles

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