Kent Kemmish is the CEO and founder of the MR Games console, a biotech startup building a nanopore-based molecular sensor (the Demonpore 64), marketed and designed as a gaming console. His early scientific training includes Drosophila research at the Arizona Cancer Center and identifying enzymes to break down age-related aggregates as part of Aubrey de Grey’s LysoSENS project (work conducted at the Biodesign Institute at Arizona State University).
He went on to become part of the founding team of Halcyon Molecular, a VC-backed startup developing electron microscopy–based DNA sequencing techniques, and later helped recruit the early team at Synthego, Inc., a biotech unicorn and now a premier supplier of CRISPR reagents.
Before becoming a scientist, Kent’s unusual background included live theatre production as part of the team at Planet Earth Multicultural Theatre in Phoenix, AZ. As technical director, he was involved as a director, actor, writer, and stage manager in more than 50 live stage productions of multicultural, postmodern, boundary-pushing, critically acclaimed theatrical performances.
As a child, Kent’s life revolved around programming video games for the Commodore 64 — a passion he is now revisiting 35 years later by helping design “molecular games” for the Demonpore 64.