Dr. Susan Zusman, Former Executive Director of Functional Genomics at Novartis, Joins Harvard Bioscience as VP R&D of its Union Biometrica Subsidiary

Harvard Bioscience, Inc. (ticker: HBIO, exchange: NASDAQ) News Release - Oct-8-2001

HOLLISTON, Mass., Oct 8, 2001 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Today Harvard Bioscience, Inc. (Nasdaq: HBIO) announced that Dr. Susan Zusman, former Executive Director of Functional Genomics for Novartis Pharmaceuticals, has joined its Union Biometrica subsidiary as Vice-President for Research and Development. Dr. Zusman is an accomplished scientist and manager in the field of model organism research having led a functional genomics unit at Novartis, widely regarded as having top model organism research programs. After earning her Ph.D. from Princeton University, Dr. Zusman was a post-doctoral associate at MIT/Howard Hughes Medical Institute, before becoming Assistant, later Associate, Professor of Biology at the University of Rochester. Dr Zusman has published many papers, posters, reviews and abstracts focused on the use of the fruit fly D. melanogaster as a model for human diseases such as Alzheimer's disease. In addition, she is an ad hoc reviewer for several major genetics journals.

David Green, President of Harvard Bioscience commented: "We are very pleased to officially welcome Dr. Zusman to Union Biometrica and Harvard Bioscience. Our COPAS(TM) high throughput model organism technology started with handling and analyzing the nematode worm C. elegans. We have now established the platform for handling and analyzing the fruit fly D. melanogaster and we needed to strengthen both our expertise in D. melanogaster biology, especially the creation of transgenic fly models of human diseases, and our senior scientific management. Susan is well qualified for both these challenges. The addition of Susan to the current team of Union Biometrica scientists, together with our recently recruited team in Europe, drawn primarily from Janssen Pharmaceutica, gives us one of the premier scientific and managerial teams is using model organisms for drug discovery research. Their expertise, together with our COPAS(TM) high throughput technology, help our customers in major pharmaceutical and biotech companies to overcome bottlenecks in the target validation, high-throughput/high content screening and ADMET screening aspects of drug discovery."

In assessing the potential for Union Biometrica to become a leading supplier of automated equipment and services, Dr. Zusman remarked, "With the unique capabilities to combine advanced high throughput technologies with biological platforms, Union Biometrica is well positioned to make a significant impact on multicellular organism research-which is rapidly becoming a major focus in functional genomic programs at pharmaceutical corporations and academic institutions. Our R&D efforts will focus on using COPAS(TM) technology as a foundation for new applications and services that support high throughout genetic, compound and ADMET screening. This will allow our customers to advance their model organism research and drug discovery efforts, much faster than was previously possible."

For further information please contact David Green, President, Harvard Bioscience at 508-893-8999 or dgreen@harvardbioscience.com.

About Harvard Bioscience Inc.

Harvard Bioscience is a global developer, manufacturer and marketer of innovative, enabling tools in drug discovery research at pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, universities and government laboratories. HBIO sells approximately 10,000 products to thousands of researchers in over 60 countries though its direct sales force, 1,000 page catalog, and through its distributors, the most notable of which is AP Biotech. HBIO has sales and manufacturing operations in the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany and Belgium with sales facilities in France and Canada. For more information please visit www.harvardbioscience.com or www.unionbio.com.

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