Systems Provide Technology for High Throughput Synthesis and Primary Screening of Heterogeneous Catalysts

SUNNYVALE, Calif. — Symyx Technologies, Inc. (Nasdaq:SMMX) today announced that Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), a U.S. Department of Energy research laboratory, has purchased two new Symyx workflows to supplement its high-throughput and combinatorial catalyst technology capabilities. These systems will be used for PNNL’s research in biomass conversion and alternative energy — specifically, for the high-throughput synthesis and primary screening of heterogeneous catalysts.

“Symyx has a long history of providing technology to leading academic and government laboratories,” said John Senaldi, president, Symyx High Productivity Research. “We are pleased to further our relationship with PNNL and take this important step in enabling biomass and renewables research.”

The new Symyx systems will be fully integrated into existing Symyx workflows at The Institute of Interfacial Catalysis and will be housed in the Bioproducts, Sciences and Engineering Laboratory (BSEL). BSEL is a multipurpose research and development facility that advances the science, engineering, and processes for bio-based product manufacture. BSEL is located on the Washington State University Tri-Cities Campus in Richland, WA, one mile south of the main PNNL campus.

“We have worked with Symyx for several years and are eager to put these new systems to work. Symyx technology is an integral part of our combinatorial and high-throughput research efforts,” said John Holladay, manager, Biomass Business Sector at PNNL. “Symyx pioneered this field and continues to be the industry leader in high-throughput technologies for catalysis.”

About Symyx

Symyx Technologies (Nasdaq:SMMX) enables companies in life sciences, chemicals and energy, and consumer and industrial products to transform scientific R&D and achieve extraordinary breakthroughs in productivity and return on investment. Symyx scientific information management enables scientists to design, execute, analyze, and report experimental results faster, more easily, and less expensively. Symyx microscale, parallel experimentation enables a single scientist to rapidly explore a broad experimental space and develop comprehensive data sets in days – not weeks or months. Information about Symyx, including reports and other information filed by Symyx with the Securities and Exchange Commission, is available at www.symyx.com.

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About PNNL

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory is a Department of Energy Office of Science national laboratory where interdisciplinary teams advance science and technology and deliver solutions to America’s most intractable problems in energy, national security and the environment. PNNL employs 4,650 staff, has a $918 million annual budget, and has been managed by Ohio-based Battelle since the lab’s inception in 1965.