Nanosphere Co-founder and Board Member, Dr. Chad Mirkin, Awarded Prestigious Lemelson-MIT...

Nanosphere Co-founder and Board Member, Dr. Chad Mirkin, Awarded Prestigious
Lemelson-MIT Prize for Revolutionary Advancements in Nanotechnology

NORTHBROOK, Ill., June 24, 2009 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Nanosphere, Inc.
(Nasdaq:NSPH), a leader in the development and commercialization of advanced
molecular diagnostics systems, announced today that its co-founder and member of
its board of directors has been awarded the prestigious Lemelson-MIT Prize.

Chad Mirkin, Ph.D., a scientist and pioneer in the development of ultra-high
sensitivity and selectivity assays based upon nanostructures, was cited as "a
prolific inventor and entrepreneur, his innovations have the potential to
transform the future of medical diagnostics and patient point-of-care and to
ignite change across many industries from semi-conductors to healthcare," in the
MIT announcement made earlier today.

The Lemelson-MIT Program recognizes outstanding inventors, encourages
sustainable new solutions to real-world problems, and enables and inspires young
people to pursue creative lives and careers through invention.

"MIT's recognition of both Dr. Mirkin's ground-breaking science and the promise
of nanotechnology further validates the advances we make every day in improving
healthcare and patient outcomes," said William P. Moffitt, president and chief
executive officer of Nanosphere.

Nanosphere has commercialized many of the nanoparticle-based, medical diagnostic
assays based upon the principles of Dr. Mirkin's inventions. This has led to the
development of the Verigene ID(tm) System, Nanosphere's innovative biodiagnostic
system that can test patients for several different disease targets at the same
time, on-site in a research laboratory, community hospital, or doctor's office
in less than an hour. "In the case of proteins, the test can be thousands of
times more sensitive than any commercial protein detection system out there, and
has the power to revolutionize medical diagnosis," explained Dr. Mirkin.

"Dr. Mirkin is an extraordinary scientist who is at the forefront of the growing
field of nanotechnology," states Michael J. Cima, Faculty Director, Lemelson-MIT
Program. "His inventions are paving the way for the emergence of nanotechnology
in medicine, with impact that extends far beyond the scientific community. He is
truly deserving of this honor."

Dr. Mirkin, the George B. Rathmann Professor of Chemistry and Director of the
International Institute for Nanotechnology at Northwestern University, will
accept the prize and present his accomplishments to the public at the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology during the Lemelson-MIT Program's
third-annual EurekaFest, a multi-day celebration of the inventive spirit, held
June 25-27.

Dr. Mirkin is currently the director of the Northwestern University
International Institute for Nanotechnology and the George B. Rathmann Professor
of Chemistry, Professor of Medicine, and Professor of Materials Science and
Engineering. Dr. Mirkin received his undergraduate training at Dickinson College
(B.S., 1986) and his graduate training at the Pennsylvania State University,
where he completed his Ph.D. in chemistry in 1989. That same year, he moved to
MIT as a National Science Foundation Postdoctoral Fellow. Dr. Mirkin joined the
faculty at Northwestern University in 1991.

About Nanosphere, Inc.

Nanosphere develops, manufactures and markets an advanced molecular diagnostics
platform, the Verigene(r) System for direct genomic and ultra-sensitive protein
detection. This easy-to-use and cost-effective platform enables simple, low-cost
and highly sensitive genomic and protein testing on a single platform.
Nanosphere is based in Northbrook, IL. Additional information is available at
www.nanosphere.us.

The Nanosphere, Inc. logo is available at
http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=4344

Safe Harbor Statement

Except for historical information, the matters discussed in this press release
are "forward-looking statements" and are subject to risks and uncertainties.
Actual results could differ materially from these forward-looking statements.
Factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include, but are not
limited to, the following: (i) Nanosphere's ability to develop commercially
viable products; (ii) Nanosphere's ability to achieve profitability; (iii)
Nanosphere's ability to produce and market its products; (iv) Nanosphere's
ability to obtain regulatory approval of its products; (v) Nanosphere's ability
to protect its intellectual property; (vi) competition and alternative
technologies; and (vii) Nanosphere's ability to obtain additional financing, if
and when necessary, to support its operations. Additional risks are discussed in
the Company's current filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Although the Company believes the expectations reflected in such forward-looking
statements are based on reasonable assumptions, it can give no assurance that
its expectations will be attained. The forward-looking statements are made as of
the date of this press release, and we undertake no obligation to publicly
update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new
information, future events or otherwise.

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CONTACT: Nanosphere, Inc.
William P. Moffitt, President and CEO
847-400-9021
wmoffitt@nanosphere.us

The Torrenzano Group
Rick Anderson
212-681-1700, Ext. 115
randerson@torrenzano.com