AMYRIS BIOTECHNOLOGIES HONORED BY THE WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM AS A TECHNOLOGY PIONEER FOR 2006

Emeryville, CA - December 5, 2005 - Amyris Biotechnologies, Inc. today announced that it has been selected by The World Economic Forum as one of 36 Technology Pioneers for 2006. Honoured in the Biotechnology/Health category, Amyris Biotechnologies is applying advances in synthetic biology to provide a consistent, cost-effective supply of high-value natural compounds for application as pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals and fine chemicals.

Jay Keasling, Ph.D., a founder of Amyris Biotechnologies, will be accepting the award on behalf of the company. Amyris was founded to leverage recent breakthroughs in synthetic biology to cost-effectively produce high-value, complex molecules that are currently available only in small quantities through extraction from natural sources. By isolating genes from their natural sources and inserting them into industrial microbes, Amyris is able to produce a wide range of natural compounds in a stable, scaleable, and cost-efficient manner. As part of a three-party consortium, Amyris currently is utilizing this technology to address supply and cost constraints that limit the use of the life-saving antimalarial drug, artemisinin. The methodologies developed during this first project, which is being conducted on a not-for-profit basis, will allow Amyris to bring other important natural compounds, many of which were previously inaccessible, into the clinic and world markets.

"We are extremely gratified to be selected as a Technology Pioneer," said Dr. Keasling. "This award validates both our core technology and our decision to focus initially on meeting a critical need in the developing world. We believe that companies can, with proper support from the world community, build profitable businesses while at the same time contributing to sustainable global health. Through our interactions with the World Economic Forum and other Technology Pioneers, I hope to gain a better understanding of the complex challenges of global health and the ways in which Amyris might use its novel technology to help address those challenges."

Announcement Details (PDF)