Founder & Chairman
Dr. Niall Armes is a molecular biologist and protein biochemist dedicated to transforming cutting-edge science into transformative technology. He invented Recombinase Polymerase Amplification (RPA), a technique now used in thousands of studies and integral to Illumina’s sequencing systems.

He currently serves as the Scientific Founder and CSO of Biocrucible (a Sapphiros company), focused on developing next-generation diagnostics. He is also the founder of Partition Bio and GeneWeaver, companies pioneering advances in drug delivery and gene therapy through synthetic biology.

Dr. Armes has led successful biotech ventures, including the sale of TwistDX to Alere, and holds over 33 patents. His multidisciplinary work bridges molecular biology, diagnostics, and synthetic biology, all driven by a passion for pushing the boundaries of biological innovation.

Managing Director
Dr. Olaf Piepenburg is an accomplished R&D leader with over 20 years of experience in the life sciences, diagnostics, and drug delivery sectors. He has led high-performing research teams, directed technical discovery and development programs, managed start-up companies, and facilitated the successful commercialization of life science products.

Dr. Piepenburg brings extensive expertise in fundraising, strategic planning, and thought leadership. His scientific background encompasses molecular biology and genetics, nucleic acid chemistry and amplification, DNA sequencing technologies, and drug delivery.

He earned his PhD in Molecular Genetics at the Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry in Göttingen, Germany, and completed postdoctoral research under Sir Jim Smith at the Gurdon Institute in Cambridge, UK.

Head of Business Development & Scientific Partnerships
Dr. Zehra Nizami is a biotech scientist and translational strategist working at the intersection of discovery, innovation, and application. As Head of Business Development & Scientific Partnerships and Principal Scientist at PartitionBio, she leads strategy, early access programs, and partnerships to advance the company’s non-viral delivery platform, BubbleFect™, toward research, development, and clinical use.

Her scientific journey began with a passion for molecular biology, gene regulation, and nuclear architecture. At Princeton University, working with Dr. Martin Weigert, she studied B cell receptor editing in a lupus model. During her PhD and postdoctoral research in Dr. Joseph Gall’s lab at Johns Hopkins and the Carnegie Institution, she discovered novel nuclear organelles called “Pearls,” characterized Cajal and Histone Locus Bodies, and identified a new class of non-coding RNAs (sisRNAs), early contributions to the burgeoning field of biomolecular condensates.

Director & Chief Operations Officer
Helen Kent-Armes is Director and co-founder of PartitionBio and Gene Weaver, bringing over 25 years of experience in life sciences and biotech, including 15 years in senior management roles. She specializes in operations, systems implementation, finance, human resources, and facilities management, excelling in fast-paced, cross-functional environments.

Previously, Helen co-founded Biocrucible and served as COO at TwistDx, where she played a key role in supporting company growth and driving operational excellence.

Lead Scientist
Dr. Barbara Tavares earned her PhD from the University of Lisbon, where she studied anionic currents across the plasma membrane of pollen grains under the guidance of Prof. Jose Feijo and Dr. Ana Bicho. She then completed a postdoctoral fellowship investigating the role of Notch signaling in cilia motility and left-right axis determination in zebrafish.

Dr. Tavares transitioned into the biotechnology industry through her work at Isogenica, where she contributed to the discovery and development of nanobodies.

Principal Scientist
Oliver Nentwich earned his Dr. rer. nat. from the University of Tübingen, where he studied FGF- and TGF-β signaling. He completed a postdoctoral fellowship in Sir Jim Smith’s lab at the John Gurdon Institute in Cambridge before transitioning to the biotech industry by joining TwistDx Ltd.

Since then, Oliver has held senior development roles in molecular analytics, DNA sequencing, and DNA synthesis at Cambridge Epigenetix, Sense Biodetection, and Evonetix. His expertise lies in developing molecular assays at the interface of molecular biology and organic chemistry.