Senomyx, Inc. Co-Founder And Scientific Advisory Board Member Roger Tsien, Ph.D., Awarded Nobel Prize In Chemistry

SAN DIEGO, CA, Oct. 10, 2008 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Senomyx, Inc. , a leading company focused on using proprietary technologies to discover and develop novel flavor ingredients for the food, beverage and ingredient supply industries, noted today that Senomyx Scientific Founder, University of California, San Diego Professor and Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator Roger Y. Tsien, Ph.D., has been awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for 2008 by The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences. Dr. Tsien shares the prize with two other scientists for their work on "the discovery and development of the green fluorescent protein, GFP."

"Senomyx congratulates Roger on receiving the most prestigious award for scientific endeavors," remarked Mark Zoller, Ph.D., Senomyx's Chief Scientific Officer and Executive Vice President of Discovery and Development. "Roger continues to perform a valuable role for the Company as a member of the Senomyx Scientific Advisory Board."

Dr. Tsien, who is Professor of Pharmacology and Chemistry/Biochemistry at UC San Diego, was selected by the Nobel Prize Committee for his seminal contributions regarding understanding the chemistry of the fluorescence properties of GFP and other members of the GFP family. The originally isolated GFP protein provided a way to mark cells expressing specific genes and to follow the trafficking of proteins within cells. Work performed in Dr. Tsien's UC San Diego laboratory determined the mechanism by which GFP exhibits its green color and led to the development of a series of GFP variants that emit additional colors. This set of GFP proteins expanded the utility of GFP to study multiple proteins in the same cell.

Importantly, the modified GFPs developed by Dr. Tsien provided the means to analyze protein-protein interactions and changes in protein structure, such as the binding of ligands by receptors. Many of Dr. Tsien's discoveries have resulted in issued patents covering the use of GFP for these applications. Senomyx has licensed the use of patented GFP technology in the flavor and fragrance field.

"Senomyx is privileged to have benefitted from Dr. Tsien's scientific expertise and advice since the establishment of the Company," said Kent Snyder, President and Chief Executive Officer of Senomyx. "We appreciate his scientific guidance and applaud his being named a new Nobel Laureate."

About Senomyx, Inc. (http://www.senomyx.com)

Senomyx is a leading company using proprietary taste receptor technologies to discover and develop novel flavor ingredients in the savory, sweet, salt, bitter, and cooling areas. Senomyx has entered into product discovery and development collaborations with seven of the world's leading food, beverage, and ingredient supply companies: Ajinomoto Co., Inc., Cadbury Schweppes, Campbell Soup Company, The Coca-Cola Company, Firmenich SA, Nestle SA, and Solae. Nestle is currently marketing products that contain one of Senomyx's flavor ingredients. For more information, please visit http://www.senomyx.com.




CONTACT: Gwen Rosenberg, Vice President, Investor Relations & Corporate
Communications of Senomyx, Inc., +1-858-646-8369,
gwen.rosenberg@senomyx.com

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