MADISON, WI-March 19, 2002-NimbleGen Systems, Inc., a closely held genomics technology company, announced today it has opened NimbleGen Systems of Iceland, LLC - útibu á Islandi (NGS-I), which is now manufacturing custom DNA arrays and related services to the scientific research marketplace worldwide.

"The new Iceland facility allows us to penetrate several key markets with world-class products and services for the biopharmaceutical and academic research markets," commented Mike Treble, President and CEO of NimbleGen. "NGS-I greatly expands our research, customer training, operating flexibility, manufacturing capacity and product lines. It is another indication that we have evolved into a company that can both develop and commercialize custom, high density DNA arrays, systems and related services. The Company is currently processing orders from market leaders in biopharmaceuticals and academia."

According to Mr. Treble, the development of the Icelandic enterprise resulted from a collaboration with Iceland Genomics Corporation's subsidiary, UVS, a privately held biopharmaceutical company, based in Reykjavik, Iceland. Part of the value created by this collaboration is the utilization of NimbleGen's microarray technology in UVS' cancer research initiatives. NimbleGen has subleased space within the UVS facility and has hired its own team.

"The collaboration between NimbleGen Systems and our company will help strengthen our comprehensive cancer research program, which we are working on with Icelandic hospitals, clinicians and the Cancer Society," said Gunnlaugur S. Gunnlaugsson, CEO of Iceland Genomics Corporation.

David L. Cooper, Ph.D., M.D., Senior Vice President of Services and Chief Medical Officer, will head NimbleGen Systems Iceland. Dr. Cooper commented: "This is a very exciting time for NimbleGen. Our experienced U.S. and Iceland team will bring advanced technologies to a broad customer base, greatly accelerating genomic discovery. We already have an impressive group of early customers and believe our commitment to them will ensure our success."

Dr. Cooper's corporate experience includes serving as Chief Science and Operating Officer of the Quest Diagnostics Nichols Institute, Chief Science Officer of both Quest Diagnostics and diaDexus. In academia, Dr. Cooper held multiple tenured faculty positions at: Duke, University of Pittsburgh, Lichfield and he lectured at Oxford University. He founded the first division of Molecular Pathology in the United States, was the first Chair of the Association for Molecular Pathology (AMP) and was editor and founder of the journal, Molecular Diagnosis.

Iceland Genomics Corporation (http://www.uvs.is) is a privately held biopharmaceutical company dedicated to exploiting the unique advantages of the Icelandic population in the search for new weapons against cancer. The unique relationship with the Icelandic clinicians and hospitals gives the Company preferential access to information and samples from cancer patients and their families in one of the world's best populations for genetic studies. By genotyping affected families and analyzing the molecular features of patient tumors, the Company is isolating genes involved in both inherited and sporadic cancers. The aim is to use these genes as the basis of new diagnostic tests, while at the same time validating the most promising of them as therapeutic targets and screening for drug leads directed against them.

NimbleGen Systems, Inc. (http://www.nimblegen.com) produces Custom High Density DNA Arrays and is developing DNA Array Systems that are based upon its proprietary Maskless Array Synthesizer (MAS) technology. The MAS technology permits the Company to develop and manufacture custom DNA arrays in less than three hours, which have the consistency of traditionally manufactured arrays, allowing researches to do massive parallel analysis of gene expression in many different genomes. The MAS technology, which is based upon the use of digital mirrors like those used in digital projectors, will enable users to create High Density Custom DNA Arrays in their own laboratories, thereby, greatly accelerating genomic discovery.