Co-Founder & COO

Seán Mac
Fhearraigh, PhD

Scientist-turned-entrepreneur building innovative solutions for the life sciences industry. Co-founder of Assay Genie, making scientists smile through better research tools.

Seán Mac Fhearraigh speaking at the AACR Annual Meeting
AACR Annual Meeting · 2023

Based inDublin, Ireland

CurrentlyCo-Founder & COO
Assay Genie

Since2017 — today

Built in the lab.
Tested in the real world.

Turning rigorous science into tools researchers can trust.

Science, business,
and curiosity.

Portrait of Seán Mac Fhearraigh
Genetics, research, and a bias for action.

My early work in genetics and cancer research taught me how much the right tool can change a research question — and how frustrating it is when that tool is hard to find, hard to trust, or hard to use.

After studying genetics at Trinity College Dublin and earning a PhD at University College Dublin, I joined the Department of Genetics at the University of Cambridge as a postdoctoral researcher. The research was rigorous; the opportunity to make it more accessible was equally compelling.

That path led from the bench to product, marketing, and company-building. Today, I bring the same scientific discipline to the work of making research easier to move forward.

Professional
experience.

A career shaped by molecular biology, scientific communication, and the practical craft of building a global life-science company.

2017 — now

Assay Genie · Dublin

Co-Founder & COO

Building a life-science company around validated research tools, documentation that helps, and meaningful scientific support.

Visit Assay Genie

2014 — 2017

Medical Supply Company · Dublin

Technical sales &
digital marketing

Connecting technical products with the people who rely on them — and learning how clear communication carries science further.

2013 — 2016

Pint of Science Ireland

Founder &
director

Helping make research more open, informal, and engaging by bringing scientists and ideas out into the city.

2011 — 2013

Cambridge / Abcam

Research, then
research outreach

Postdoctoral research in cell-cycle regulation and cancer biology, followed by bringing cancer and stem-cell science closer to its audiences.

Assay Genie product range

Tools for
better research.

Explore Assay Genie’s core research-tool categories, from validated immunoassays to proteins and antibodies.

Visit Assay Genie

Featured podcast · Business Builders

From scientist to building a multimillion-euro enterprise.

In Episode #94, Seán talks about moving from academic cancer research into entrepreneurship, building credibility in scientific markets, funding, AI, and growing Assay Genie.

Sep 2025 · 1 hour

Listen on Spotify

Selected signals

Recognition and peer-reviewed work from the early research years.

2009

Best speaker award

Biochemical Society Human Disease and Signaling conference.

2007

Travel scholarship

Irish Cancer Society research travel scholarship.

2012–13

Published research

Two Cell Cycle papers on mitotic regulation and cell death.

Read publication ↗

Education

Academic
grounding.

01

Trinity College Dublin

BA in Genetics

2002—2006

02

University College Dublin

PhD in Genetics

2006—2011

03

University of Cambridge

Postdoctoral researcher

2011—2012

Beyond the
work.

The practices that keep the work in perspective — and the energy moving.

01

Endurance

An Ironman finisher and triathlete, drawn to the quiet discipline of distance and the clarity it brings.

02

Reading

Ideas get stronger when they meet other ideas. The next good question often starts with a good book.

03

Family

A proud father of two, learning daily that the most meaningful work is measured in more than milestones.

Connection welcome

Get in touch.

For a conversation about research, entrepreneurship, or the work of building better tools for life sciences, start here.