Divergence Adds Wong to Board of Directors and Geary to Scientific Advisory Board

St. Louis (September 12th, 2006) - Divergence, Inc. announced today that it has added Mark W. Wong to its Board of Directors and Timothy G. Geary, Ph.D. to its Scientific Advisory Board.

Mr. Wong brings more than 25 years of experience in agricultural biotechnology and seeds to Divergence, having led numerous companies in the sector including Agracetus and Agrigenetics. He currently is President and Chief Executive Officer of Renewable Agricultural Energy Inc., a company focusing on the production of ethanol from corn. Most recently, Mr. Wong was a founder and CEO of Emergent Genetics, Inc., a leading international company in cotton and vegetable seed sales and biotechnology traits with operations in the U.S. (most notably, Stoneville Pedigreed Seed Company), India, Europe, and Latin America. In 2005, Emergent Genetics was acquired by Monsanto Company for $335 million. Mr. Wong received his B.Sc. from Lehigh University and his M.B.A. from The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania. Mr. Wong lives in Boulder, Colorado.

"We are extremely pleased that Mark is joining the Board of Directors," said John W. McCarter, Jr., Chairman of the Board of Directors of Divergence. "The experience and knowledge that Mark brings in the management of agricultural technology will strengthen Divergence. Especially as the company implements further corporate relationships and makes significant advances toward commercialization, Mark's understanding of strategy and tactics will prove quite beneficial to Divergence."

"There are few agricultural biotech companies that I would consider joining as a director, and Divergence stands out as one of these select companies," said Wong. "Divergence has made major strides in its operations over the last several years, and continuing on this course, the company can make great things happen for growers, its corporate partners, and its investors."

Dr. Geary is currently Professor and Canada Research Chair in Parasite Biotechnology at McGill University's Institute for Parasitology in Montreal, Canada. He joined McGill in 2005 after a 20 year career in pharmaceutical research and development with Upjohn, Inc., Pharmacia, Inc., and Pfizer, Inc. Dr. Geary is one of the world's leading experts in antiparasitic drug development and pharmacology with over 100 publications in the field. His current focus is on antiparasitic drug targets and secretory products of filarial nematodes. Dr. Geary received his B.Sc. from University of Notre Dame and his Ph.D. in Pharmacology from the University of Michigan.

"Tim brings a distinguished and uniquely well suited background to the Divergence Scientific Advisory Board," said James P. McCarter, M.D., Ph.D., President and Chief Scientific Officer of Divergence. "Tim's knowledge of target-based drug discovery and his strong understanding of parasitology in general will allow him to provide great input in all opportunities that Divergence pursues. The fact that he brings an understanding of basic research within academia and of product development in industry means that he will understand our objectives, strengths, and hurdles, and he will also understand the perspectives of our collaborators."

"I have known the team at Divergence for a number of years, and I am very pleased to associate myself with them," said Geary. "I believe in the company's approaches to discovery, and I am hopeful that I can contribute to the company's success over time."

With the addition of Mr. Wong, Divergence now has six directors. Also serving are Mr. Stanford J. Goldblatt, Partner and Head of the Private Equity Group of Winston & Strawn LLP, Mr. McCarter, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Field Museum in Chicago, Illinois; Dr. McCarter; Ilya B. Nykin, Managing Director of Prolog Ventures LLC; and Derek K. Rapp, Chief Executive Officer of Divergence.

Divergence now has eight members of its Scientific Advisory Board. Serving along with Dr. Geary are David McK. Bird, Ph.D., Professor of Plant Pathology at North Carolina State University; Sean R. Eddy, Ph.D. (Chairman of SAB), Group Leader, Howard Hughes Medical Institute Janelia Farm Campus and former Goldfarb Chair of Computational Biology at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis; Ernest G. Jaworski, Ph.D., retired Director of Research at Monsanto Company and Adjunct Professor at Washington University in St. Louis; Craig C. Mello, Ph.D., Professor of Molecular Medicine at the University of Massachusetts Medical School at Worcester and Investigator, Howard Hughes Medical Institute; Gilbert S. Omenn, M.D. Ph.D., Professor of Internal Medicine, Human Genetics and Public Health at the University of Michigan and Current Chairman of the American Association for the Advancement of Science; Timothy B. Schedl, Ph.D., Professor of Genetics, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis; and Wilfred A. van der Donk, Ph.D., William H. and Janet Lycan Professor of Chemistry at the University of Illinois.

Divergence is a research and development company dedicated to the discovery of effective and ecologically sound strategies for the control of parasites and other pests. The company's initial focus is on parasitic nematodes, one of the world's major pest groups. Nematodes are roundworms that cause billions of dollars in damage annually to numerous crops, including soybeans, corn, and cotton, as well as most fruits and vegetables. Nematodes also cause widespread disease in animals, including infections such as heartworm in dogs and cats and intestinal worms in livestock. Nematode-induced human diseases include elephantiasis and African river blindness.


For more information on Divergence, visit www.divergence.com.