Nobel Laureate and Science Appreciation Gala Honors Student Internships

Carlsbad, California, October 21, 2006 — The historic contribution of Nobel Laureates was recognized and the contributions of science were celebrated at the eighth annual BIOCOM Nobel and Science Appreciation Gala, held at the Hyatt Regency, La Jolla, California.

Chris Sanchez and Bryan Bjorndal

The event highlighted the achievements of all teachers, students, and companies that made the Life Science Summer Institute (LSSI) a success in 2006. LSSI, a collaboration between the San Diego Workforce Partnership, BIOCOM, and the Department of Labor, created a comprehensive internship program for high school students and teachers.

Chris Sanchez, a senior at California State University, San Marcos, was a LSSI intern sponsored by Assure Controls, Inc. The internship responsibilities included cell culture and production, laboratory supplies, and conducting small experiments as part of the company's commercialization of bioluminescent plankton that are used as indicators of toxicity in water samples. This is the second consecutive year that Assure Controls has sponsored an intern from the Life Science Summer Institute.

The student interns were part of a special evening, where more than 400 people attended a black tie event to recognize the contributions of the entire life science community. The attendees included distinguished Nobel Laureates, scientists in San Diego area academic institutions and industry companies, aspiring scientists in our high schools, and science teachers.

San Diego boasts the most R&D assets of all other metropolitan areas, approximately 39,000 life science jobs, and the region has the highest concentration of Nobel Laureates and the highest number of Ph.D's per capita. More than 700 men and women, leaders in their fields, have had their achievements recognized through the Nobel Prize. More than a third have been American citizens and California has earned the distinction of being home to the largest number of Nobel Laureates, reflecting the state's powerhouse universities and scientific institutions.

# # #

Contact Assure Controls:
Mickele Hughes
p: 760.505.3000 x3
f: 760.306.7872
mhughes@assurecontrols.com
www.AssureControls.com