The Science Metaverse

We’re launching an NFT collection to help support scientific research in the Metaverse

In 2014 we set out to build the ultimate interface for interacting with and designing molecules. Over the years we have seen the Metaverse start to emerge with digital experiences making meaningful social and cognitive impact when people get together in Augmented/Virtual Reality. Spatial computing or XR (VR/AR/MR) offers a new way to step into your computer and digitally spend time with other people through our digital avatars.

In 2017 started developing the Matryx platform for scientific collaboration using the Ethereum Blockchain. The idea was to support scientific research through a tokenized tournaments system which also helped people publish their work using the blockchain as a way to stake their claim in an immutable fashion. The Matryx platform was deployed on the Ethereum Mainnet in 2019 and is accessible through Metamask at app.matryx.ai

Much has happened on the Ethereum network since the inception of Matryx in 2017 including the popularization of Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs). NFTs play an important role in claiming and owning digital files in a publicly verifiable way. In the original implementation of the Matryx platform, there was a publishing mechanism wherein digital files would be hashed onto the Ethereum blockchain with the files themselves being stored on IPFS (InterPlanetary File System). This implementation is similar to NFTs in many ways, but is not compatible with the NFT ecosystem. For a research platform to scale across other blockchain platforms, there needs to be universal compatibility. The Matryx platform would benefit from an upgrade which mints NFTs at each step in the decentralized research process.

In 2018 there was a big shift in the XR community from the early adopters on the fringe, to the mainstream families that might exercise or play games on a standalone VR unit that no longer required the expensive gaming pc.

In 2019 there was still much skepticism about VR being dead, about blockchain platforms being dead, and people trying to figure out how any of this would actually be relevant to help the world. That moment came in 2020 with the Covid-19 pandemic.

We have seen many scientists adopt VR in their research and teaching, but it was a huge inflection point when in March of 2020 the world went remote and digital. Scientists were working in VR at their homes analyzing the structures of the coronavirus and designing new ways to combat the disease. Oakridge national lab is one of those who recently published their work. (Link)

In early 2020 we set out to work with as many scientists, research institutions and companies that were helping to make better treatments or better understand the Coronavirus. There was an explosion in growth as we now had to do everything remotely and Nanome offered the perfect virtual place to work on molecular research and invite colleagues to collaborate.

Now we are helping to make that reality better and adding key features to Nanome to make it the go to spot for scientific collaboration and communication. This is the Metaverse for Scientists, but also for so many more people just trying to understand science and the work being publicly funded in a better, more intuitive way. We’re committed to giving back to the world by building the Science Metaverse with Nanome and we need your help to make this happen. The Molecular Keys collection is a set of 10 NFTs that each grant the holder a 3 year license to Nanome where they can enter the Science Metaverse and engage with researchers from around the world. Learn more at nft.nanome.ai

The Science Metaverse can help solo scientists, hobbyists, students, institutions, and organizations whether they be corporations or Distributed Autonomous Organizations (DAOs). The Open Science movement and DeSci movements are amazing, but lack the social presence that a metaverse could offer to these communities. Instead of messaging on discord about molecules, we could and should enter virtual or augmented worlds together and explore the molecule in atomic detail. A single insight from a scientist or non scientist could change the world by bringing a new innovation to light. We are just starting to see the fruits of modern technology supercharging science and there is lots more to see in the 21st century.

We’ve been building infrastructure for Decentralized Science (DeSci) since 2017 and we believe that with the right tools and spaces, humanity can work together to solve major world challenges like infectious diseases, aging/longevity, heart disease, cancer, mental health and climate destruction. Enter the Science Metaverse today by visiting https://home.nanome.ai/setup