Academic research is challenging. Obtaining grants and financial support for research projects is highly competitive and time-consuming. Researchers typically juggle multiple projects, including teaching, and they also have to deal with realities like data management and ethics.But now, a movement called Decentralised Science (DeSci) aims to transform traditional scientific research by connecting patients, scientists, investors, biotech DAOs, and novel crowdfunding methods. It democratises access to research funding through greater transparency, open access, and collaborative efforts, thus accelerating scientific breakthroughs.DeSci leverages blockchain-based platforms, tools, NFTs, tokens, decentralised autonomous organisations (DAOs), and Web3 principles to facilitate funding for scientific research.From online communities to open source bioscienceI spoke to a pioneer of the DeSci movement, Paul Kohlhaas, founder and Chief Architect at Molecule, a platform dedicated to accelerating scientific research and bringing intellectual property onchain through community-driven initiatives. It's like crowdfunding on steroids, where instead of getting an item in exchange for your funding, you get a cut of the intellectual property (IP).Kohlhaas spent his youth engaging with online biohacking forums and patient communities on platforms like Reddit, where online communities focused on tackling medical challenges—like diabetic patients collaborating to develop their own insulin due to its prohibitive cost in the US. From HIV communities exploring gene therapies to cancer patient groups sharing experimental treatments, nootropics and longevity, there was a community for virtually everything.He recalls:"What struck me was the collaborative and open spirit of these groups

The project also launched its new PLEX client that eases the burden of resource-intensive computations for scientific data.