CO-FOUNDER OF INSTITUTE FOR SYSTEMS BILOLOGY INDUCTED INTO INVENTORS HALL OF FAME

SEATTLE – Dr. Leroy Hood, co-founder and president of the Institute for Systems Biology (ISB), was honored today by the National Inventors Hall of Fame, a premier non-profit organization that recognizes world-class inventors responsible for great technological advances that make human, social and economic progress responsible.

Dr. Hood is being honored for his innovative role in developing the DNA sequencer that has played a crucial role in the biotech and health industries, greatly accelerating progress in the Human Genome Project in the 1990s. He now acts as president of ISB, a non-profit, internationally renowned, research institute in Seattle dedicated to the study and application of systems biology.

"I´m pleased to be inducted and recognized for my work over the previous years, but more importantly to be honored along with the rest of the 2007 inductees, who have improved the lives of people around the world," said Dr. Hood, "The award also gives the institute the opportunity to highlight the importance of continuing the work we are doing in systems biology."

Dr. Hood joins an elite group of inductees including: John Franz, who discovered the non-toxic popular weed killer Roundup; Allen Breed, who invented the automotive airbag; and Maurice Hilleman, whose vaccines have nearly eliminated many common childhood diseases in developed countries.

Every year, the National Inventors Hall of Fame honors individuals whose work has changed lives and created new tools that shaped the future. The induction ceremony is scheduled for May 4th and 5th in Akron, Ohio.

ISB carries out its research with a specific mission: to not only cure complex diseases but also predict an individual´s future health prognosis, in order to get early treatment. The ISB team of leading-edge researchers is committed to pursuing the innovations that will transform science and medicine in the 21st century and eventually lead to the prediction and prevention of disease. For more information about the ISB visit: www.systemsbiology.org

About the Institute for Systems Biology
The Institute for Systems Biology (ISB) is an internationally renowned, non-profit research institute dedicated to the study and application of systems biology. Founded by Leroy Hood, Alan Aderem and Ruedi Aebersold, ISB seeks to unravel the mysteries of human biology and identify strategies for predicting and preventing diseases such as cancer, diabetes and AIDS. The driving force behind the innovative "systems" approach is the integration of biology, computation and technology. This approach allows scientists to analyze all of the elements in a system rather than one gene or protein at a time. Located in Seattle, Washington, the Institute has grown to 12 faculty and more than 200 staff members; an annual budget of more than $25 million; and an extensive network of academic and industrial partners. For more information about the ISB visit: www.systemsbiology.org

About the National Inventors Hall of Fame, Inc.
The not-for-profit National Inventors Hall of Fame is the premier organization in America dedicated to honoring and fostering creativity and invention. Each year a new class of inventors is inducted into the Hall of Fame in recognition of their patented inventions that make human, social, and economic progress possible. Founded in 1973 by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the National Council of Intellectual Property Law Association, the Hall´s permanent home is Akron, Ohio, where the inventors in the Hall are honored and from where it administers its national programs, including Camp Invention®, Club Invention®, Invent Now®, and the Collegiate Inventors Competition®.