DIVERGENCE RECEIVES DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARD FROM DONALD DANFORTH PLANT SCIENCE CENTER

St. Louis (October 15th, 2004) - Divergence, Inc. announced that it has received the Danforth Distinguished Service Award from the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center in St. Louis, Missouri. The Danforth Distinguished Service Award recognizes outstanding individuals or organizations that have been important partners in the development of the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center and/or in the development of St. Louis as an international center for plant science.

"Divergence's success is creating recognition for St. Louis as a region that fosters innovative development in bio-based businesses," said Dr. William Danforth, chairman of the board of trustees of the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center.

"We are very pleased to recognize the emerging success of Divergence, as the company has been an active collaborator in research in the region, including at the Danforth Center," announced Donald Danforth Plant Science Center President Dr. Roger Beachy.

"It is a great honor for Divergence to be recognized for its efforts in life science," said Derek Rapp, Chief Executive Officer of Divergence. "Our team is committed to the success of the company for the benefit of our many stakeholders - starting with our shareholders, but also including our partners and the St. Louis community."

"We are quite proud of our association with the Danforth Center and appreciative of the support that they have given and continue to give to Divergence," said Rapp.

The prior recipients of this award were U.S. Senator Christopher S. "Kit" Bond and Hendrik Verfaillie in 2002 and Virginia V. Weldon, M.D. in 2003.

Divergence is a research and development company dedicated to the discovery of effective and ecologically sound strategies for the control of parasites and other pests. The company's initial focus is on parasitic nematodes, one of the world's major pest groups. Nematodes are roundworms that cause billions of dollars in damage annually to numerous crops, including soybeans, cotton, strawberries, and bananas. Nematodes also cause widespread disease in animals, including infections such as heartworm in dogs and cats and intestinal worms in livestock. Nematode-induced human diseases include elephantiasis and African river blindness.

For more information on Divergence, visit www.divergence.com.