WOBURN, Mass., Sept. 27, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Metabolix, Inc. (NASDAQ:MBLX), today announced that Heike
Sederoff, Ph.D. Professor, Department of Plant and Microbial Biology at North Carolina State University (“NC State”) has been named
to the Yield10 Bioscience Scientific Advisory Board (“SAB”). Yield10 Bioscience, the crop science venture launched by
Metabolix in 2015, is focused on developing proprietary, breakthrough technologies to create step-changes in yield for major food
and feed crops to enhance global food security.
“We are pleased to welcome Dr. Sederoff to our Scientific Advisory Board,” said Oliver Peoples, Ph.D., chief scientific officer.
“We have collaborated with Dr. Sederoff and her team at NC State on advanced metabolic engineering technologies for improving crop
yield using camelina as a model system. We look forward to Heike’s contributions in her role as an advisor to our team as we work
in 2016 to translate our approach to boosting crop yield and drought resistance to agriculturally significant crops and move from
greenhouse to field trials.”
“We have collaborated with the Yield10 team on grants supporting advanced research to improve seed and biomass yield in oilseed
crops,” said Heike Sederoff, Ph.D. Professor, Department of Plant and Microbial Biology at North Carolina State University. “Our
work focused on yield improvement using camelina has produced encouraging results and we look forward to continue working with the
Yield10 team to engineer new plant yield traits applicable to important feed and food crops.”
Heike Sederoff, Ph.D. is currently Professor in the Department of Plant and Molecular Biology and Systems and Synthetic Biology
Chair at North Carolina State University. Dr. Sederoff’s recent research has focused on the study of plant systems and synthetic
biology. She has used metabolic engineering methods to increase carbon assimilation and allocation in an oilseed crop and in model
plant species including marine algae. Dr. Sederoff received an M.S. in Biochemistry and a Ph.D. in Plant Biochemistry at University
of Göttingen, Germany.
Earlier in 2016, Yield10 Bioscience named Michael Lassner, Ph.D., former vice president of trait discovery at Dupont Pioneer and
Danny Schnell, Ph.D., Professor and Chair of the Department of Plant Biology at Michigan State University, to its
SAB.
About Metabolix
Metabolix, Inc. is implementing a strategic plan under which the Company has wound down its legacy PHA biopolymer business and
Yield10 Bioscience will become its core business with a focus on developing disruptive technologies for step-change improvements in
crop yield. Yield10 is leveraging Metabolix’s extensive track record of innovation based around optimizing the flow of carbon
intermediates in living systems. Yield10 is working on new approaches to improve fundamental elements of plant metabolism through
enhanced photosynthetic efficiency and directed carbon utilization. Yield10 is advancing several yield traits in development in
crops such as camelina, canola, soybean and corn. The Company is based in Woburn, MA.
For more information, visit www.metabolix.com. (MBLX-G)
For more information on Yield10 Bioscience, visit Yield10.
Safe Harbor for Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements which are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of Section 27A of
the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. The forward-looking
statements in this release do not constitute guarantees of future performance. Investors are cautioned that statements in this
press release which are not strictly historical statements, including, without limitation, expectations regarding the progress of
Yield10, constitute forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties
that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated, including the risks and uncertainties detailed in
Metabolix's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Metabolix assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking
information contained in this press release or with respect to the announcements described herein.
Metabolix Contact: Lynne H. Brum, 617-682-4693, LBrum@metabolix.com
