San Francisco, CA July 16, 2008 -- Jova Solutions, developer of FermWorks -- the comprehensive software solution for data logging, recipe development, experiment management, and process control in fermentation and cell culture labs (biopharma and biofuels), today announced the general release of FermWorks 2.3. FermWorks 2.3 enhances functionality, adds drivers for several new instruments, and is faster and more efficient than previous versions. In related news, Jova announced the expansion of FermWorks deployments in the labs of its installed base, and the addition of significant new installations of FermWorks in both biopharma and biofuels labs.

FermWorks 2.3 streamlines experiment and recipe execution, provides faster and more efficient processing and a quicker user interface. New functionality for recipe looping and duplication has been added and data export functionality has been improved. The FermWorks plug-in library has been enhanced with several useful new plug-ins for calculations, including preconfigured and ready to use templates for recipes, reports, and software controllers. These templates help new installations startup quickly -- in as little as one or two days, depending on the size of installation. FermWorks 2.3 is more robust, with improved memory handling and automatic recovery from network outages.

Enabled by FermWorks, cell culture and fermentation labs around the U.S. are increasing productivity with better recipe development that results in higher yields. "FermWorks will get us to market faster. We can use our heads on the bio-chemical problem and not spend our time fighting with process control configuration or design changes or data acquisition -- it's all done by FermWorks," said Fred Moesler, Director of Process Development at ZeaChem, Inc. a Silicon Valley biofuel pioneer.

Steve Hawley, Senior Director of Drug Substance Development at NexBio, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company in San Diego that is dedicated to developing treatments for life-threatening viral diseases says, "We've expanded our FermWorks operation because it helps us be efficient in the development laboratory. FermWorks is helping us with process development that is focused on commercialization of the product."

FermWorks is now installed on 200 bioreactors at one U.S. biotech firm in both its process development and pilot labs. The use of FermWorks at other customer labs has expanded dramatically over the past year. FermWorks 2.3, which runs on Windows, expands and improves its support for the instruments typically used in biotech and biofuels labs. The FermWorks suite of instrument drivers includes support for:

• Applikon ezControl, iControl, 1010, and 1030
• Sartorius DCU, Biostat, and Cultibag
• New Brunswick BioFlos
• Nova Bioanalyzer
• Beckman Vi-CELL Cell Analyzer
• Innovatis Cedex Cell Analyzer
• YSI-2700 Sample Analyzer
• Bayer Rapidlab 248
• Ohaus and Mettler Balances
• BlueSens Gas Composition Analyzers