Intrexon Acquires Neugenesis Corporation and Establishes Industrial Products Location

Burlingame, CA, April 21, 2011.  Intrexon Corporation, a next generation synthetic biology company, today announced the acquisition of Neugenesis Corporation, a California-based company that has developed recombinant technologies and production systems related to Neurospora crassa, an exceptionally versatile fungal organism capable of producing a wide spectrum of proteins and metabolites of commercial interest. Intrexon also announced that the former Neugenesis facility is now the headquarters for Intrexon’s Industrial Products Division.

According to Grace Colón, Ph.D., Division President, “This important acquisition adds a strong team with a wealth of experience in the Neurospora crassa platform and an immediate operational capability in fungi, one of the key organisms we will be deploying for development of industrial products. We will utilize the Neugenesis platform for a variety of industrial markets while also supplying other Intrexon divisions with novel ways to enable or augment their market offerings.” Thomas Reed, Ph.D., Intrexon’s Chief Science Officer, adds further perspective, "I am very excited by the potential of Neurospora. The Neugenesis development and production efforts have resulted in unique capabilities that are highly complementary to Intrexon’s ability to produce rationally designed complex transgenes at large scale. This includes a unique high throughput screening methodology, novel approaches to gene diversification for product improvement, and combinatorial biology technology that allows simplified production of multimeric protein complexes.”

“Intrexon is an ideal fit for Neugenesis,” comments W. Dorsey Stuart, Ph.D., former CEO of Neugenesis and a pioneer in the development of Neurospora as a commercial platform. “The company is clearly at the vanguard of synthetic biology and quickly recognized the value of our platform in combination with their extensive DNA control capabilities.” Adds Ed Cambareri, Ph.D., former CSO of Neugenesis and now Senior Director, Fungal Platform Development with Intrexon’s Industrial Products Division, “Intrexon represents a unique opportunity to broaden and deepen the utility of the Neugenesis platform. We are absolutely delighted to be part of the Intrexon team and look forward to contributing substantially to the company’s overall success.”

Colón concludes, “The acquisition of Neugenesis represents an important first step in our plan to accelerate product development in the rapidly expanding markets for industrial synthetic biology applications. I welcome the Neugenesis team to our organization and look forward to realizing the full potential of the exceptional platform they have developed.”

About Intrexon Corporation

Intrexon Corporation is a privately held synthetic biology company that employs modular DNA control systems to enhance capabilities, improve safety and lower cost in human therapeutics, protein production, industrial products and agricultural biotechnology. The company’s advanced transgene engineering platform enables Better DNA™ by combining breakthroughs in DNA control systems with corresponding advancements in modular transgene design, assembly and optimization. The company is currently using these advanced capabilities to undertake foremost challenges across the spectrum for biological applications. More information about the company is available at www.DNA.com.