About

Founder

Michael Sismour, Ph.D.

Michael Sismour is a nucleic acid chemist and biologist with over 15 years enabling innovative solutions across the biotechnology, diagnostics, and genomics industries. He founded 5Bases Biotechnologies, LLC in 2022 after more than a decade of independent consulting — formalizing an advisory practice that had grown organically from his work in and around some of the most innovative scientific environments in the world.

Mike's expertise spans an unusually broad scientific range: from the organic chemistry of nucleic acid systems through enzymology, molecular biology, genetics, and into cellular and systems biology. A defining capability is his ability to integrate across wetware, hardware, and software — not just understanding each domain in isolation, but designing and developing technology at the intersection of all three. This cross-disciplinary depth is the foundation of what makes 5Bases genuinely different from generalist scientific advisory firms.

His early training under Dr. Steven Benner — one of the world's foremost nucleic acid chemists — at the University of Florida, followed by postdoctoral work in the George Church Laboratory at Harvard Medical School and the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, placed him at the epicenter of some of the most transformative biotechnologies of the past two decades. It was during this period that he began consulting for companies spinning out of the Church lab and Wyss Institute, as well as larger companies entering the newly created NGS industry.

Most recently, Mike served as Vice President of Research and Innovation at Ultivue, a spatial biology company focused on multiplexed biomarker detection and multiomics. Prior to Ultivue, he served as Chief Scientist and Head of Genomics R&D at Beckman Coulter Life Sciences (a Danaher company), where he led product development and strategy, drove Genomics Open Innovation through technology licensing and strategic partnerships, and served as a Danaher diligence team member for M&A opportunities.

Mike also co-founded Legomics in 2014, a Cambridge-based startup focused on benchtop gene synthesis using novel aqueous-based chemistry, where he served as CTO. His combination of hands-on founder experience, enterprise leadership, and deep technical expertise — across chemistry, biology, and operational strategy — is the core value proposition of 5Bases.

Why 5Bases

What makes us different

Trained Where the Science Was Made

Doctoral training under Steven Benner — one of the world's most preeminent nucleic acid chemists — followed by postdoctoral work in the George Church Laboratory at Harvard placed us at the intersection of the foundational discoveries that created modern genomics, synthetic biology, and nucleic acid therapeutics. That scientific formation shapes how we approach every problem.

Cross-Disciplinary Technology Development

Very few scientists operate fluently from the organic chemistry of nucleotide systems through enzymology, molecular biology, genetics, and systems biology — and fewer still can integrate that biological expertise with hardware and software to develop complete, deployable technologies. This breadth is what lets us see solutions others miss and build things others can't.

Enterprise Rigor, Startup Speed

Deep familiarity with the Danaher Business System — the gold standard for operational excellence in large biotech — combined with hands-on founder and executive experience at every startup stage. We know how to right-size enterprise-grade processes for innovative, fast-moving companies. Not stripped down. Correctly-scoped.

Known for Innovation