Release 2008 05 10

New London, Connecticut. May 10, 2008 — DNA EpiCenter, New England's preeminent, hands on, inquiry based bioscience educational facility formally announced today that five prominent women, whose leadership as science and community leaders will be recognized for their service as part of the first annual Barbara McClintock, Ph.D., Class of DNA EpiCenter Scholars reception, to be held at the New London, Connecticut educational center on Thursday, May 22, 2008.

"A long and careful process led to the selection of these special individuals. We are proud of their many accomplishments and contributions that they have made to science and our community, specifically the mission of the DNA EpiCenter," said Marie A. Smith, Chairperson, 2008 Class of DNA EpiCenter Scholars and Department Head and Clinical Professor-Pharmacy Practice, University of Connecticut School of Pharmacy. "The Executive Committee and I are very pleased that these special women match the pioneering spirit of Connecticut's own Barbara McClintock. We are reminded on a daily basis of her legacy and the pathway that she paved for women in science. This event will be a reinforcement of all that Dr. McClintock accomplished and the monies raised will be an investment in the future of the girls who attend this summer's O.M.G! G.I.R.L.S. (Oh My Gosh! Girls in Real Laboratory Situations) Camp at the DNA EpiCenter." Tickets for the event are available at $100 per person and are available by calling Chuck Hayes at the DNA EpiCenter, 860.442.0391.

Barbara McClintock (June 16, 1902 — September 2, 1992) was a pioneering American scientist born in Hartford, Connecticut and one of the world's most distinguished cytogeneticists. McClintock received her Ph.D. in botany from Cornell University in 1927, where she was a leader in the development of maize cytogenetics. The DNA EpiCenter proudly displays a comprehensive exhibit that details her life and studies and serves as an inspiration for this summer's all-girls bioscience camp.

Since receiving notification of a $250,000 grant from the Connecticut State Department of Education in August 2007, the Executive Committee chaired by Bruce Cohen, Ph.D. has targeted a three year business and strategic plan to support the DNA EpiCenter Mission Statement: "To promote the understanding of the science of life to people of all ages." "We are very pleased that with the support of our local legislators led by Senator Andrea L. Stillman (D-Waterford) and State Representative Elizabeth B. Ritter (D-Waterford & Montville's 38th Assembly District), we are now able to target our stated goal of reaching out to the educators, students, and the general public to assist school systems in meeting the mandates set forth by Connecticut's State Department of Education in the new Core Science Curriculum Framework," stated Cohen. "As a benefactor of the 2006 — 2007 fiscal year surplus, it is exciting to know that these resources have been used for the continued benefit of the students, teachers, and general public whose interest and commitment to science education will pay great dividends in the years to come." The achievements and mission of the DNA EpiCenter have already been recognized in important public events including featured presentations from Dr. James Watson, co-discoverer of the structure of DNA and Dr. Henry Lee who spoke about the important role that the DNA EpiCenter plays in fostering the continued progress being made in DNA analysis and its impact on educating all aspects of society.

About DNA EpiCenter

Founded in 2004, the mission of the DNA EpiCenter is to promote the understanding of the science of life to people of all ages. The DNA EpiCenter offers hands on, inquiry based bioscience professional development workshops for K—12 educators. In addition it offers hands on, inquiry based bioscience experiments and museum exhibits for students in grades K—12. The DNA EpiCenter serves as a resource for the general public as a destination site utilizing museum exhibits and educational seminars for ongoing information regarding current events relating to DNA especially in the fields of genetics and forensics. www.dnaepicenter.org.

2008 Class of DNA EpiCenter Scholars

Thursday, May 22, 2008
DNA EpiCenter, Inc.
33 Gallows Lane
New London, CT
6:00PM Reception
7:00PM Convocation
Individual tickets are $100 per person

Fundraiser honoring the contributions of: -Carol Milne, Trustee Emeritus
-June Bradlaw, Ph.D.
-Susan Froshauer, Ph.D.
-Elizabeth "Betsy" Ritter, Connecticut State Representative
-Andrea Stillman, Connecticut State Senator

Media contact:
Chuck Hayes, 860.442.0391, chayes@dnaepicenter.org

Honoree Bios

Carol Milne

Carol Milne serves as First Vice President and a member of the Executive Committee at the DNA EpiCenter, Inc. and has been a member of the Board of Trustees since 1998. Mrs. Milne is a graduate of Duke University with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. She has a long personal history of active involvement in community and educational affairs. In 1964, she worked with Project Nicaragua and helped establish a medical clinic in that country. She has been a member of the boards of Summer Music and Hospice of Southeastern Connecticut and served on the Steering Committee of the Women and Girls Fund of the Community Foundation. She is a Trustee of Gaylord Hospital, a Corporarter of L&M, and a member of the Library Visiting Committee of the New York Botanical Garden. She was recognized in 2002 by Three Rivers Community College Foundation for her community service. A competitive tennis player, nature activist and collector of canes, Mrs. Milne counts basket weaving and world travel among her hobbies and is the proud wife of George M. Milne Jr., mother of Todd and Adam Milne, and has four grandchildren. Mrs. Milne resides in Niantic, Connecticut and Boca Grande, Florida.

June Bradlaw, Ph.D.

Dr. Bradlaw is currently the Science Advisor and Chair of the Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) for the International Foundation for Ethical Research (IFER). She has been a member of the IFER SAB since 1985. Dr. Bradlaw has spent the majority of her scientific career with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration where she was active in several in vitro areas including In Vitro Toxicology, Genetic Toxicology, Cell and Tissue Culture practices, and standardization of cells used in Tissue Engineered Products. She co-chaired and co-authored the proceedings of the 1993 IRAG Workshop on Eye Irritation Testing. Throughout her career she has been very proactive in providing her colleagues with expert advice on matters relating to cell culture methodology and their application in testing. She retired from the FDA as Acting Chief of the In Vitro Toxicology Branch in 1999 after 41 years of service. Dr. Bradlaw served as Associate Professor of Microbiology at the George Washington School of Medicine from 1981 — 1985. Over the years she has received many awards relating to her work in the in vitro area. These include: the Distinguished Lifetime Achievement Award from the Society for In Vitro Biology (SIVB), the Distinguished Service Award from SIVB, several FDA Group Recognition Awards (one for her work in IRAG), and the FDA Commendable Service Award. Dr. Bradlaw has authored over 50 articles on cell culture methods, in vitro toxicology or genetic toxicology. Dr. Bradlaw was also appointed to serve on a National Committee, SACATM, Scientific Advisory Committee on Alternate Test Methods. The appointment is from 2006 — 2010. This committee oversees all the government projects that pertain to the validation of test methods without the use of animals. This committee is under the sponsorship of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences of the NIH. Dr. Bradlaw received her A.B. degree from Connecticut College in New London, Connecticut, an M.S. degree in Microbiology from the University of Maryland and her Ph.D. in Microbiology from the George Washington School of Medicine. June graduated from the Norwich Free Academy and was the recipient of the Favorite Norwich Native Daughter Award in 2007.

Susan Froshauer, Ph.D.

Susan Froshauer is the Founder, President and Chief Executive Officer of Rib-X Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Under Dr. Froshauer's leadership, Rib-X has raised more than $123 million in private equity and grown a pipeline of clinical stage programs and an antibiotic drug discovery process to sustain a continual pipeline build. Formerly, Dr. Froshauer created a significant technology investment portfolio for Pfizer, Inc. as a member of its Strategic Alliance Group. The portfolio was designed to support Pfizer's global research and development programs and included partnerships with Arqule, Evotec, Aurora, Tripos, and Neurogen. Dr. Froshauer is the recipient of the Pfizer Central Research Award and the Connecticut Technology Council's Women of Innovation 2006 Award for Entrepreneurial Innovation and Leadership. In addition to serving on the Rib-X board, Dr. Froshauer serves on the boards of CURE and the University of Connecticut Research and Development Corporation. She has also served on Connecticut's Technology Transfer and Commercialization Advisory Board of the Governor's Competitiveness Council. Dr. Froshauer holds a Ph.D. from Harvard University and performed post-doctoral research at Yale Medical School.

Elizabeth "Betsy" Ritter, Connecticut State Representative

In November, 2004, Betsy Ritter was elected State Representative for the 38th District. Her particular interests are in the areas of ethics and campaign finance reform, public health and healthcare access, transportation, and state/municipal taxation. Betsy was first elected to public office in Waterford in 1990 as Registrar of Voters and served three and a half years before becoming Town Treasurer for the next five years. In 1998 she became Waterford's Tax Collector, a position to which she was been elected twice. During this time she brought new technology and efficient procedures to the office, provided greater services to the public using fewer resources and staff, minimized departmental expense, increased Town tax relief to elderly and disabled homeowners, worked for and implemented a tax benefit for volunteer firefighters and EMT's, and maintained the collection rate at one of the highest in the state. She is a Connecticut Certified Municipal Collector. Betsy has volunteered for numerous Town and community agencies and organizations including Waterford emergency management, PTAs and school board action planning, school sports, YMCA of Southeastern Connecticut, low-income housing advocacy, and arts in education. She served as president of the New London County Tax Collectors' Association and is treasurer of Young Audiences of Connecticut, Inc., a finance committee member for the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center, and a member of Waterford Rotary and the Waterford Democratic Town Committee. In her spare time she enjoys hiking, gardening, music and the performing arts, and beekeeping. Betsy lives in the Quaker Hill section of Waterford with her husband Grant and their daughters, Carrie, a college junior, and Bess, a senior at Waterford High School.

Andrea Stillman, Connecticut State Senator

Senator Andrea L. Stillman (D-Waterford) is serving her second term representing residents of the 20th Senatorial District (East Lyme, Montville, New London, Old Lyme, Old Saybrook, Salem, and Waterford). She is the Senate chair of the legislature's Public Safety and Security Committee and serves on the Public Health, Regulations Review, and Finance, Revenue, and Bonding Committees as well. Prior to her Senate tenure she served six terms in the House of Representatives, representing the 38th District communities of Montville and Waterford. She was the House chair of the tax-writing Finance, Revenue and Bonding Committee and served on the Transportation and Environment Committees. She had previously served six years on the budget writing Appropriations Committee. Senator Stillman is presently a co-Chair of the governor's Long Island Sound liquid natural gas (LNG) Task Force, charged with evaluating the proposal by Broadwater Energy, LLC to construct a floating LNG terminal on Long Island Sound. In 2006, Senator Stillman was appointed by the governor to serve on a special Commission on Judicial Reform; she was also chosen Legislator of the Year by the Connecticut Police Chief's Association. Improving the quality of public education has long been one of Senator Stillman's major priorities. She has also concentrated on issues affecting urban areas, critical issues involving the environment, higher education, job training, substance abuse and compulsive gambling. In 2002, she was selected by the Center for Women Policy Studies in Washington D.C. to attend their Foreign Policy Institute. Attendees included 11 women state legislators from throughout the country. They met with high-ranking officials from the State Department, United Nations, human rights organizations, Doctors Without Borders and other international agencies. The Institute explored the impact of the United States foreign police and development assistance on the health, education, economic development and well being of women worldwide. This experience motivated her to fight for new legislation that addresses the issue of sexual trafficking. This work further established Stillman as a champion for women and children and earned her recognition from the U Thant Institute, which honored her with an Award of Appreciation. Stillman also has extensive experience running a business. Together with her husband, she owns J. Solomon Office Supply, a small business that employs 12 people. The company has been located in New London since 1902. Senator Stillman was born in New York City and graduated in 1971 from the University of California at Northridge with a degree in Speech. She and her husband Howard are the parents of two grown children and have 3 grandchildren.

About Rib-X Pharmaceuticals
Rib-X Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is a product driven small molecule drug discovery and development company focused on the structure based design of new classes of antibiotics. The Company's underlying drug discovery engine capitalizes on its proprietary high-resolution crystal structure of the ribosome, which performs an essential role in the fundamental process of protein synthesis. Many known, commercially valuable antibiotics bind to the ribosome, including those used to treat both community acquired and hospital acquired pathogens. The Company's integrated research strategy, which combines state-of-the-art, proprietary computational analysis, X-ray crystallography, medicinal chemistry, microbiology, and biochemistry, allows it to rapidly synthesize new agents designed to avoid typical antibiotic resistance mechanisms. Rib-X's iterative intelligent engine has yielded several distinctive new antibiotic classes. The Company currently has two programs in human clinical trials, the radezolid (RX-1741) designer oxazolidinone program as an oral/IV agent to treat serious hospital Gram-positive infections and the delafloxacin, (RX-3341) program, a next generation fluoroquinolone, active against a broad spectrum of bacteria, including methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Additionally, the Company has multiple drug discovery programs. The first of these is an exciting discovery program that is well on its way toward the identification of new chemical classes of antibiotics active against multi-drug resistant Gram-negative bacteria in the hospital. The second of these programs is focused on design and development of an IV and orally active macrolide for treatment of infections in the nursing home and hospital setting, including those caused by MRSA and enterococci. Radezolid and the multiple discovery programs derive from Rib-X's proprietary use of the ribosome structure and computational tools.

Media/Investor Contact Information
Gina Nugent The Yates Network 617.460.3579 gina@theyatesnetwork.com