Research Triangle Park, North Carolina
November 14,  2001

Syngenta Biotechnology Inc. and Egea Biosciences Inc. announced today that the two companies have entered into a collaboration to design and engineer plants that will resist pests through the incorporation of genes for naturally occurring molecules.

Egea will use its revolutionary gene synthesis technology to engineer extremely long pieces of DNA, over 30,000 bases in total, that encode a series of genes that when introduced into a plant will produce organic molecules. The genes to be synthesized were discovered by Syngenta scientists from natural sources.

Syngenta Biotechnology Inc., a subsidiary of Syngenta of Basel, Switzerland, is a world leading agribusiness. The company ranks first in crop protection, and third in the high-value commercial seeds market. Egea Biosciences is a world leader in protein engineering and genomic engineering. Egea's Genewriter(TM) technology enables for the first time rapid synthesis of entire genes and genetic pathways, allowing engineering of multi-gene constructs based on information available in public domain databases.

"We are extremely excited to be entering into our first collaboration with Syngenta, one of the leading innovators in the Agrochemical industry," said Glen A. Evans, M.D., Ph.D., CEO and founder of Egea. "This project will be truly exciting scientifically, important environmentally and lead to a new generation of plant-based products."

It is believed that the string of genes that Egea will construct, also known as a genetic pathway, will be the largest DNA molecule ever produced completely synthetically without requiring previously cloned DNA. When inserted into a plant, the genes will work in concert to produce the chemical within the cells of the plant that will take the place of the chemicals sprayed on the fields by farmers.

"Egea's technology will allow us at Syngenta to fully exploit the tremendous discoveries we have made in recent years," said Stephen V. Evola, Ph.D., president of Syngenta Biotechnology Inc. "We hope that this collaboration will be of benefit to the farmer, consumer, and environment."

Egea Biosciences Inc. is a privately held molecular bioengineering company applying its revolutionary protein design technology to the invention of novel genes, proteins, pathways and bioreactors from digital genetic information. Egea's Genewriter(TM) technology enables the production of molecules from computer-based information alone and allows the invention of entirely novel molecules in silico. Egea utilizes product solutions for biopharmaceutical and agricultural applications using its proprietary gene synthesis and protein design technology. Headquartered in San Diego, Egea has been awarded grants and contracts from the U.S. Army, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency and the National Institutes of Health. To learn more about this innovative company, visit the company's Web site at www.egeabiosciences.com.

Syngenta is a world leading agribusiness. The company ranks first in crop protection, and third in the high-value commercial seeds market. Pro forma sales in 2000 were approximately U.S. $6.9 billion. Syngenta employs more than 20,000 people in over 50 countries. The company is committed to sustainable agriculture through innovative Research and Technology. Formed in November 2000 by the merger of Novartis Agribusiness and Zeneca Agrochemicals, Syngenta is listed on the Swiss stock exchange, and in London, New York and Stockholm. Further information is available at www.syngenta.com. 

Company news release
N3954