University of Hawai'i University Relations Media & Publications Honolulu, HI 96822	(808) 956-8856 Telephone (808) 956-3441 Facsimile ur@hawaii.edu E-Mail
For Immediate Release:	June 30, 1999
Contact: Kevin Kelly, MarBEC operations director, 808 956-6651

Firm becomes first Hawai'i industry partner in MarBEC University of Hawai'i President Kenneth P. Mortimer today welcomed Cyanotech Corp. as the first Hawai'i business to join the Marine Bioproducts Engineering Center (MarBEC) Industry Partner Program (IPP). Mortimer was joined by Gerald R. Cysewski, president and chief executive officer of the microalgae company, in signing the industry participation agreement. "This kind of public­private partnership ensures that both our research activities and the training we provide our students use cutting-edge technologies and relate to next-generation industries," Mortimer said. The agreement provides Cyanotech (and other IPP members) with benefits that include preferential rights to intellectual property developed in MarBEC's research program at the University of Hawai'i at Manoa and its core partner institution, University of California, Berkeley. The agreement also provides students and graduates with access to internships and post-graduate employment. "By becoming an active participant in the MarBEC program and through the company's representation on the MarBEC Industrial Advisory Board, Cyanotech will assist the program leadership in defining the future research and educational goals of the center," Cysewski commented. MarBEC director Alexander Malahoff called Cyanotech "a prime example of the kind of innovative business that will use what we scientists learn about our last frontiers to create practical and helpful products." MarBEC will host an industry information meeting at the end of July in Berkeley. The center hopes to attract additional participation from Mainland and international biotechnology companies and research laboratories. UH Manoa and UC Berkeley established MarBEC under a five-year $12.4 million grant from the National Science Foundation to identify and develop marine bioproducts for the chemical, pharmaceutical, nutraceutical and life sciences industries. Cyanotech produces high-value natural products from microalgae. The company's products include Spirulina Pacifica, a nutrient-rich dietary supplement; NatuRose, a natural astaxanthin product used in the world-wide aquaculture industry; and phycobiliproteins, which are fluorescent pigments used in the immunological diagnostic market. The company is also developing microalgae-based products for the biopesticide markets and, through an exclusive license agreement with The Scripps Research Institute, a patented aldolase catalytic antibody with potential applications in industrial synthesis for the manufacture of pharmaceuticals, fine chemicals and agricultural products. For more information, see www.cyanotech.com.

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