Sydney, Australia
March 13, 2002

Proteome Systems Ltd. and C-Qentec Diagnostics Pty Ltd today announced a collaboration, which paves the way for Proteome Systems to enter into the diagnostics market. The partnership will focus on the development of a range of rapid and quantitative diagnostic products for use in agriculture. C-Qentec will use its experience in the agricultural diagnostics industry to market and distribute these smart technologies based on Proteome Systems patented diagnostic proteomics platform.

Keith Williams, PhD, CEO, Proteome Systems said "We have adapted for diagnostic use piezoelectric printing, which is a core part of our Chemical Printing and Chip Printer technologies with MicroFab Technologies Inc. (Plano, Texas USA). Our first diagnostic product will serve the agbiotechnology market through our partnership with C-Qentec."

"We had a diagnostic format that needed to be made significantly faster and easier to use," Bruce Howie, General Manager, C-Qentec said. "Proteome Systems technology and expertise in membrane printing made this possible and under the partnership the first tests will be ready for commercialization in the third quarter of this year."

Proteome Systems is a leading proteomics technology and discovery company. With our technology  partners, we are commercialising transforming technologies for high throughput proteomics which is available as a total solutions package, ProteomIQTM. These technologies, integrated by a proprietary and sophisticated bioinformatics system, BioinformatIQ(TM), are implemented in our discovery programs in the areas of infectious disease, cancer and aging. Proteome Systems has R & D and manufacturing facilities in Sydney, Australia and Boston, USA.

C-Qentec Diagnostics is a subsidiary of Aventis CropScience, with head office in Sydney Australia. As a result of collaboration with key Australian researchers, C-Qentec markets in Australia, PreDicta B a DNA based agricultural diagnostic test to detect and quantify soil borne diseases of cereals, as well as holding an international license for WheatRite, a rapid test for determining weather damage (alpha-amylase levels) of wheat.

PreDicta is a registered trademark of Aventis; WheatRite is a registered trademark of Value Added Wheat CRC