Table Of ContentBlockchain Technologies
SeriesEditors
DhananjaySingh ,DepartmentofElectronicsEngineering,HankukUniversityof
ForeignStudies,Yongin-si,Korea(Republicof)
Jong-HoonKim,KentStateUniversity,Kent,OH,USA
MadhusudanSingh ,EndicottCollegeofInternationalStudies,Woosong
University,Daejeon,Korea(Republicof)
This book series aims to provide details of blockchain implementation in technology and
interdisciplinary fields such as Medical Science, Applied Mathematics, Environmental Science,
Business Management, and Computer Science. It covers an in-depth knowledge of blockchain
technology for advance and emerging future technologies. It focuses on the Magnitude: scope,
scale & frequency, Risk: security, reliability trust, and accuracy, Time: latency & timelines,
utilization and implementation details of blockchain technologies. While Bitcoin and
cryptocurrency might have been the first widely known uses of blockchain technology, but
today,ithasfarmanyapplications.Infact,blockchainisrevolutionizingalmosteveryindustry.
Blockchainhasemergedasadisruptivetechnology,whichhasnotonlylaidthefoundationfor
all crypto-currencies, but also provides beneficial solutions in other fields of technologies. The
features of blockchain technology include decentralized and distributed secure ledgers,
recording transactions across a peer-to-peer network, creating the potential to remove
unintendederrorsbyprovidingtransparencyaswellasaccountability.Thiscouldaffectnotonly
thefinancetechnology(crypto-currencies)sector,butalsootherfieldssuchas:
Crypto-economicsBlockchain
EnterpriseBlockchain
BlockchainTravelIndustry
EmbeddedPrivacyBlockchain
BlockchainIndustry4.0
BlockchainSmartCities,
BlockchainFuturetechnologies,
BlockchainFakenewsDetection,
BlockchainTechnologyandIt’sFutureApplications
ImplicationsofBlockchaintechnology
BlockchainPrivacy
BlockchainMiningandUsecases
BlockchainNetworkApplications
BlockchainSmartContract
BlockchainArchitecture
BlockchainBusinessModels
BlockchainConsensus
BitcoinandCryptocurrencies,andrelatedfields
The initiatives in which the technology is used to distribute and trace the communication start
point, provide and manage privacy, and create trustworthy environment, are just a few
examples of the utility of blockchain technology, which also highlight the risks, such as
privacy protection. Opinion on the utility of blockchain technology has a mixed conception.
Some are enthusiastic; others believe that it is merely hyped. Blockchain has also entered the
sphere of humanitarian and development aids e.g. supply chain management, digital identity,
smart contracts and many more. This book series provides clear concepts and applications of
Blockchain technology and invites experts from research centers, academia, industry and
governmenttocontributetoit.
Ifyouareinterestedincontributingtothisseries,[email protected]
[email protected]
Wendy Charles
Editor
Blockchain in Life Sciences
Editor
WendyCharles
UniversityofColorado
Centennial,CO,USA
ISSN 2661-8338 ISSN 2661-8346 (electronic)
BlockchainTechnologies
ISBN 978-981-19-2975-5 ISBN 978-981-19-2976-2 (eBook)
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-2976-2
©TheEditor(s)(ifapplicable)andTheAuthor(s),underexclusivelicensetoSpringerNature
SingaporePteLtd.2022
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Singapore
ToChrisandKatieforyourtremendous
patienceandunderstanding.
Foreword
“Sciencewillbeblockchainedby2025.”
This was the bold claim I made way back in 2017 after 20 years of scientific
research and ayear of investigating this nascent technology thatwas transforming
otherindustriesfromfinancetosupplychain.Assomeonewhohadbeeninvolved
across the entire spectrum of medical research from bench to bedside, this future
incorporationofblockchaintoscienceseemedinevitableevenifmytitleandtimeline
weremeanttobeprovocative.Somewereskepticaloftheidea,otherswerehostile
(myfederalbossesatthetimeorderedmetostoptalkingaboutblockchain),while
most didn’t know what blockchain was or simply didn’t notice. But there were a
growingnumberofpeopleexploringthispossibilityandhowtomakeithappen—one
oftheseearlyleaderswasDr.WendyCharles.
WhenIwasfirstintroducedtoDr.Charlesin2019,shewaswelldownthesame
pathIwas,havingseentheobviousvalueofapplyingatransparent,tamper-resistant,
decentralizedauditlayertotheworld’smostpreciousdatasystem—science.Wendy
had her own rich history in clinical research, with robust regulatory experience
combined with a formal study of informatics. And, I soon learned, she had the
most robust library of blockchain applied to healthcare and life sciences literature
ontheplanetwhichshehadpersonallycurated.Iimmediatelysignedheruptobe
interviewed for a book I was co-authoring on the topic of blockchain for medical
research.Westartedworkingtogetheronapaperabouttheregulatoryimplications
of blockchain applied to clinical research which has become a foundational piece
in the industry. We have continued to write, present, develop curricula, and teach
togetheronthetopicofblockchainforscientificresearchasexplorationandusage
haveskyrocketedinbothpublicandprivatesectors.
Sometimes,thebestwaytopredictthefutureistocreateit.
IhavebeeninaweofWendy’snuancedunderstandingofthefinedetailsofthe
scientificprocessandrelatedinformationflow,especiallytheregulatorycomponents
ofclinicalresearch.Itisthisknowledgethatallowedhertoquicklyassessthevalue
ofblockchainandrelateddistributeddataledgersappliedtothelifesciences.Given
hermeticulousfocusonthedetailsofthealignmentofthesetworecentlyintersecting
worlds,shehasrapidlybecomeoneoftheworld’sforemostauthoritiesonthetopic.
vii
viii Foreword
Much of the early interest in the topic has been technically or scientifically deep,
but not both. The academic rigor for anything we apply the scientific method to,
or apply to it, must be appropriate for field. It is this very rigor that is required to
understandandelicitthetremendousvaluewecanachievebyapplyingblockchain
tolifesciences.Dr.CharlesisthebestpersonIknowtodeliverthisrigor.
IcanthinkofnoonebetterthanWendytodivedeepintothistopicandassemble
someofthemostinsightfulexplorationsofwhatisbeingdoneandwhatispossible
for blockchain applied to life sciences as you will find in this book. When I co-
authoredBlockchainforMedicalResearch:AcceleratingTrustinHealthcare(2020,
CRCPress)withYaelBizouati-Kennedy,itspurposewastobridgetheunderstanding
gapbetweenresearchersandtechnologistswewereseeinginthisnascentarea,atan
accessible introductory level. Here with Blockchain in Life Sciences: Technology
that Accelerates Scientific Advancements, Dr. Charles explores the technical and
scientificdepthsrequiredtomovetheuseofblockchaininlifesciencestothenext
level.
Along with her contributing authors, Wendy covers all major categories of use
casesandtechnicaldetailforblockchaininlifesciencestoprovidescientists,admin-
istrators, providers, regulators, technologists, and other related professionals the
foundationforadvancingtheuseofthisemergingtechnologytorapidlytransform
research. With a keen eye toward both scientific and technical depth, this volume
goes beyond any collection beforeand willcertainly serveas thedefinitive source
for study and application in this area. This collection will have a major impact on
lifesciencesoperationsinpublic,private,andacademicsettingsforyearstocome.
Thisimpactwon’tsimplybeoneofscientificinterest.Itwilldeliverreal-world
advancestohowquicklywecanmovenewideastoimprovehealthintotrustedand
widespreadusewiththetrustofscienceautomatedbyblockchain.Whetheritwill
be to rapidly advance the moonshot against cancer, find better ways to tackle the
growing Alzheimer’s epidemic, or prepare us to better respond to the next global
pandemic,theaccelerationblockchaincanbringtothecreationofactionableknowl-
edge through enhanced life sciences practice will save lives. That’s why science
needstobeblockchained,andthisbookwillhelpmakethatareality.
Pittsburgh,PA,USA SeanT.Manion,Ph.D.
October2021 ChiefScienceOfficer,Equideum
Preface
Ifirstlearnedaboutthepotentialapplicationsofblockchainforlifesciencesresearch
in2017whileattendingapharmaceuticalconferencedirectedtomobilehealthtech-
nologies.Eachconferencespeakerdiscussedtheneedforblockchaininlifesciences
andtheimportanceofdetermininghowblockchaincouldfitintoeachorganization’s
ecosystem.Afterspendingnearly30yearsinlifesciencesresearch,thisconference
beganmypassionandpursuitofimplementingblockchaintoenablethistechnology’s
potentialtoadvanceresearchdatacapabilitiesandoutcomes.
The more I became involved in the blockchain community, the more I realized
thatprogrammerswereunfamiliarwiththecultureandregulationsinvolvedinlife
sciencesresearch.Similarly,thoseinthelifesciencesindustryheldmanymiscon-
ceptions about blockchain technology and its potential to improve life sciences
research.Irealizedtheimportanceofassemblingabookthataddressedkeyeduca-
tionalconceptsaboutblockchaininlifesciencesresearch.IwasthrilledthatSpringer
NaturePublishingagreedthatthereisaneedforabookinthisareaandencouraged
metorecruitmyfriendsandcolleaguesasauthors.Thisbookbecamealaboroflove
asIrealizedtheimpactthisknowledgewillhaveonenhancinglifesciencesresearch.
PurposeofThisBook
The purpose of this book is to educate the academic community and life sciences
industries about the current uses of blockchain in life sciences research and the
uniqueresearchanddevelopmentopportunitiesenabledbyblockchain.Eachchapter
revealscurrentusesofblockchainindrugdiscovery,druganddevicetracking,real-
worlddatacollection,andincreasedpatientengagementtounlockopportunitiesto
advance life sciences research. The chapters also reveal possible challenges and
regulatoryimplicationsforresponsibleimplementation.Inmanyways,individuals
andorganizationsinvolvedinlifesciencesresearchmustengageinaparadigmshift
about blockchain opportunities to empower research participants and enable data
capabilities.
ix
x Preface
OrganizationofThisBook
Thisbookisorganizedintotwoprimarysections:
• Part: Blockchain Uses and Real World Evidence (Chapters “Introduction
toBlockchain”through“ABlockchain-EmpoweredFederatedLearningSystem
andthePromisingUseinDrugDiscovery”)
• Part:ConsiderationsforEnsuringSuccessofBlockchaininLifeSciencesResearch
(Chapters “Valuing Research Data: Blockchain-Based Management Methods”
through“TheFutureofBlockchain”)
ThefirstPart,BlockchainUsesandRealWorldEvidence,introducesblockchain
technologies and provides examples of uses in pillars within specific life sciences
industries.
•
Chapter“IntroductiontoBlockchain”.Thischapterintroducesbasicinformation
about the common characteristics of blockchain technologies and the features
theyaddtolifesciencesresearch.
•
Chapter“BlockchaininPharmaceuticalResearchandthePharmaceuticalValue
Chain”. This chapter outlines contemporary and future blockchain-integrated
solutionstoaccelerateandoptimizedrugdiscoveryanddevelopmentpathways.
Italsoexploreskeyopportunitieswell-alignedwithblockchainforthefivemain
categoriesofthepharmaceuticalvaluechain.
•
Chapter “Blockchain-Based Scalable Network for Bioinformatics and Internet
of Medical Things (IoMT)”. This chapter describes blockchain-based solutions
forIoMTdatamanagementaswellasindividualengagementandempowerment.
•
Chapter “Blockchains and Genomics: Promises and Limits of Technology”.
This chapter explores the various existing and potential models for genomic
blockchains, reviews some shortcomings and unmet needs, and explains why
no technical solution alone will fulfill the promise of genomic data ownership
withoutregulation.
•
Chapter“ConvergenceofBlockchainandAIforIoTinConnectedLifeSciences”.
This chapter discusses how blockchain and AI can help govern inherent and
residualrisksassociatedwithIoT-enabledtechnologiesandhowtheseemerging
technology platforms can help catalyze the transfer of scientific discovery into
newbiomedicalproductsandservicestoimprovethedeliveryofhealthcareand
patientoutcomes.
•
Chapter “A Blockchain-Empowered Federated Learning System
and the Promising Use in Drug Discovery”. This chapter discusses federated
learning and proposes a blockchain-empowered coordinatorless decentralized,
federatedlearningplatform.
The second Part, Considerations for Ensuring Success of Blockchain in Life
Sciences Research, provides organizational considerations of the components of
blockchainimplementation.
