Learn what Decentralized Science (DeSci) is, and how it is improving the way scientific research is democratized.
What Is Decentralized Science (DeSci)?
Decentralized Science (DeSci) is a new approach to scientific research that uses blockchain technology to create a more open, transparent, and community-driven model for knowledge creation and sharing.
At its core, DeSci leverages decentralized technologies like tokens, non-fungible tokens (NFTs), and decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs) to reshape how scientific research is funded, conducted, and distributed.
By reducing reliance on traditional centralized institutions, Decentralized Science offers an alternative to the conventional scientific model where research is accessible to all, and collaboration is incentivized.
One of DeSci’s main goals is to democratize science by providing platforms that allow researchers to raise funding, conduct experiments, and share data in a decentralized way. This system emphasizes transparency in the research process, allowing the broader community to engage with and contribute to scientific discoveries.
Blockchain’s immutable nature ensures that scientific records remain secure and trustworthy, while decentralized peer review processes offer a fairer and more accountable method for evaluating research contributions.
In addition to increasing access and transparency, DeSci promotes global collaboration by removing institutional and geographical barriers. It brings researchers together across borders, allowing for a more diverse exchange of ideas and expertise.
What Are the Current Issues of Traditional Science?
Traditional science, referred to as ‘TradSci’, faces several critical challenges that hinder the advancement of research and innovation. A commonly cited issue is the “valley of death,” a metaphor describing the difficult phase between conducting fundamental research, and transforming those findings into practical applications, such as life-saving treatments or innovations. This period is marked by a lack of funding and support, which delays or even halts the development of promising discoveries.
For instance, breakthrough medical research may struggle to secure the necessary resources to progress from laboratory experiments to clinical trials, leaving potentially groundbreaking innovations unrealized.
Another significant problem with traditional science is its centralized nature, where a few major institutions and publishers control the research ecosystem. This centralization leads to a biased publishing process in which established institutions are often favored over independent or lesser-known researchers, regardless of the quality of their work.
The peer review and publishing process in prestigious journals can take years, preventing timely access to important scientific findings. As a result, valuable research may be delayed, slowing down the overall progress of scientific knowledge and limiting its potential impact on society.
Moreover, paywalls imposed by major scientific publishers create further obstacles by restricting access to published research. This barrier disadvantages independent researchers and the public, who may be unable to afford the often exorbitant fees required to access scientific papers.
These issues point to the need for a decentralized science crypto platform that facilitates broader access to research while ensuring the integrity of scientific data.
How Does Decentralized Science (DeSci) Work?
Decentralized Science (DeSci) operates by shifting control from centralized institutions to distributed networks, empowering participants to have greater authority and access. This decentralized approach diminishes the role of traditional gatekeepers, such as major institutions and publishers, democratizing decision-making and resource allocation.
With a strong emphasis on transparency, DeSci promotes open access to research methods, data, and results. This fosters reproducibility and accountability, making scientific research more reliable and inclusive while also encouraging cross-border and censorship-resistant collaboration.
One of the key innovations in DeSci is the use of decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs), which play a key role in financial governance and decision-making.
DAOs allow researchers and stakeholders to manage resources and make collective decisions without relying on centralized intermediaries. By using smart contracts on blockchain networks, DAOs enable transparent allocation of research funds, proposal submissions, and community voting. This decentralization of governance encourages diverse participation in research, aligning individual incentives with broader goals of advancing scientific knowledge and creativity.
DeSci also makes use of tokenization, and something called ‘Intellectual Property Non-Fungible Tokens (IP-NFTs)’, to incentivize research contributions and protect intellectual property rights.
IP-NFTs allow researchers to tokenize their intellectual property, such as papers, datasets, or patents, on the blockchain, granting them ownership rights that can be traded or licensed.
This system promotes the sharing of knowledge and innovation, as researchers are motivated to publish their work openly while retaining control over their creations. Tokens, meanwhile, are used to reward contributions, aligning incentives within decentralized research communities and promoting collaboration across borders.
What Are the Use Cases Of Decentralized Science?
Decentralized Academic Publishing
Decentralized Science (DeSci) creates decentralized repositories for academic work, allowing DeSci to make research more accessible and reduce the barriers imposed by paywalls and traditional publishers.
Researchers can publish their work directly on DeSci platforms, offering open access to scientific knowledge without the high costs associated with traditional journals.
Revolutionize Research Funding
Research funding is another key use case for DeSci, where smart contracts and decentralized platforms can enhance transparency in the allocation of funds.
Traditional science funding is often slow, conservative, and limited by institutional biases, but DeSci introduces innovative mechanisms such as crowdfunding, quadratic funding, and DAOs to facilitate community-driven funding models.
By involving a broader range of contributors and leveraging decentralized networks, these methods reward researchers based on the quality of their work and encourage more inclusive and innovative research agendas.
Enhance Data Sharing and Collaboration
Data sharing and collaboration are also revolutionized through DeSci platforms, which use blockchain technology to share and monetize research data securely. Researchers can tokenize their intellectual property, ensuring ownership rights while fostering collaboration across borders.
The transparency and security of blockchain allow for verifiable peer review processes, creating immutable records of contributions and making the entire scientific process more accountable.
What Are Some Projects Involved in DeSci?
VitaDAO
Launched in June 2021, VitaDAO is a decentralized, community-governed project focused on advancing research and development in the field of longevity. By addressing the critical lack of early-stage funding in the biopharma industry, particularly in the longevity space, VitaDAO seeks to realign incentives between patients, researchers, and the industry.
Operating as a decentralized autonomous organization (DAO) on the Ethereum blockchain, VitaDAO utilizes novel governance frameworks, non-fungible tokens (NFTs), and automated market makers (AMMs) to support the creation of early-stage therapeutics. Through its cooperative model, VitaDAO holds intellectual property (IP) rights in the therapeutics it funds, promoting transparency and collaboration while disrupting the traditional, monopolistic IP models.
LabDAO
LabDAO is a decentralized science (DeSci) organization enhancing the execution layer of the scientific process. Its primary goal is to bridge the gap between funding scientific research and the dissemination of results by creating a peer-to-peer marketplace that connects researchers.
Utilizing blockchain technology, LabDAO facilitates collaboration among scientists, enabling them to trade and share tools essential for research and development (R&D). This innovative approach empowers both wet-lab researchers, who work with liquids, chemicals, and biological materials, and dry-lab researchers, specializing in computation, physics, and engineering.
DeSci Foundation
The DeSci Foundation is a non-profit organization based in Geneva, Switzerland, dedicated to advancing the scientific ecosystem through meta-science and innovative technologies.
The foundation curates contributions across various scientific disciplines, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration to enhance transparency, robustness, and replicability in scientific research. Notably, outstanding contributions are eligible for the DeSci Foundation Open Science Award, which recognizes efforts that exemplify best practices in open science.
Additionally, the foundation partners with Artizen.Fund to offer matched funding for innovative research projects, encouraging scientists to submit creative representations of their work as Artifacts.
Web3 Is Changing Science for the Better
Decentralized Science (DeSci) represents a transformative shift in the landscape of scientific research, leveraging blockchain technology to address the limitations of traditional models.
By democratizing access to funding, fostering collaboration, and ensuring transparency, DeSci creates a more equitable ecosystem where researchers from diverse backgrounds can contribute to and benefit from scientific advancements.
Disclaimer: This information is intended for general knowledge and informational purposes only, and does not constitute financial advice. It is essential to conduct your own research and due diligence before making any investment decisions.
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