SRI International and Regional and State Leaders Dedicate New SRI Shenandoah Valley Facility in Harrisonburg, Virginia

SRI International and Regional and State Leaders Dedicate New SRI Shenandoah
Valley Facility in Harrisonburg, Virginia

HARRISONBURG, Va., Nov. 9 /PRNewswire/ -- Virginia Governor Timothy M. Kaine
and officials from Rockingham County and the City of Harrisonburg will join
SRI International executives for a building dedication ceremony from 2:00 to
4:00 p.m. today at the Rockingham County Research and Technology Park in
Harrisonburg, Virginia. The new 40,000-square-foot research and development
building will house SRI Shenandoah Valley and its Center for Advanced Drug
Research (CADRE).

"Innovative organizations that support science and develop new commercial
opportunities are a critical part of the future success and development of
Virginia," said Governor Kaine. "We congratulate SRI on the dedication of
their new facility, and look forward to the beneficial impact their research
will have in Virginia and beyond."

SRI and community partners from the Commonwealth of Virginia, Rockingham
County, the City of Harrisonburg, James Madison University (JMU), and the
Shenandoah Valley Partnership established SRI Shenandoah Valley in December
2006, and broke ground on the new building the following year, in December
2007. During the construction, SRI Shenandoah Valley was housed on the JMU
campus.

SRI was attracted to the Shenandoah Valley because of the many strengths of
the region, including excellent universities, a dedicated workforce, and
proximity to federal government agencies. Through client-sponsored research
and partnerships, SRI Shenandoah Valley is working to advance critical
scientific research and benefit economic growth in Shenandoah Valley and
throughout Virginia.

The new facility was constructed by Nielsen Builders, Inc. and designed by HOK
using green design practices that limit environmental impact. The mix of
office space and specialized bioscience laboratories is organized in a
clustered design that maximizes open space, with light fixtures that reduce
light pollution to the neighboring community. Most of the major materials used
in the construction process came from local manufacturers and suppliers.

"Today, we celebrate an important milestone in SRI's history, as SRI
Shenandoah Valley dedicates a beautiful building that holds great promise for
important research in infectious disease," said Curtis R. Carlson, Ph.D., SRI
president and CEO. "Our programs and innovations depend on terrific partners
who share our commitment to world-class research and commercialization of
technologies that solve important problems. We are grateful to Governor Kaine,
JMU President Rose, the leaders of the Commonwealth, and the local community
who shared our vision and helped make this happen. With their support, we look
forward to serving as a key center of research and technology development in
the region."

Under the leadership of Krishna Kodukula, Ph.D., executive director of CADRE
in SRI's Biosciences Division, researchers at SRI Shenandoah Valley are
focused on developing life-saving treatments that can reach people globally,
particularly in the areas of infectious and neglected diseases. CADRE extends
SRI's expertise in drug discovery and development and biomedical sciences with
a new proteomics laboratory to develop vaccines, diagnostics, and therapies.
Proteomics is the study of protein structure and function, helping scientists
better understand the causes of disease, which can streamline drug development
and make personalized medicine more cost-effective.

Recent CADRE projects at SRI Shenandoah Valley include:

-- Research to address the problem of antibiotic resistance in
tuberculosis, supported by a Grand Challenges Explorations grant from
the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
-- Discovery of a novel insecticide that targets infection-carrying
mosquitoes. The preventive treatment could be widely used as a
decontaminant of vehicles, homes, and public places.

-- Development of rapid and sensitive diagnostics for aspergillosis, an
invasive fungal disease that is one of the most common causes of
infection for people undergoing chemotherapy.

"Rockingham County is excited to have SRI Shenandoah Valley as its anchor,
with the opening of this state-of-the-art facility in the Rockingham Center
for Research and Technology," said Frederick E. Eberly, Chairman of the
Rockingham County Board of Supervisors. "SRI, under Dr. Kodukula's
leadership, has quickly become a vital part of the Shenandoah Valley
community. SRI Shenandoah Valley is a critical link as the region transforms
to meet the challenges of the 21st century."

In addition to their work in biosciences, SRI researchers have been addressing
regional economic development and educational needs. In 2008, SRI completed
the Shenandoah Valley 21st Century Workforce Transitions Project, an
initiative led by SRI, the Shenandoah Valley Partnership and local business
leaders to inventory and evaluate the adequacy of local education and training
systems to meet long-term needs of the local job market. SRI researchers are
currently evaluating a National Science Foundation-funded student recruitment
and retention effort led by JMU and three local higher education institutions
to increase the number of students obtaining degrees in science, mathematics,
engineering and technology.

SRI has also conducted its Five Disciplines of Innovation(TM) workshop for
local business and community leaders. These workshops allow SRI to share its
innovation best practices with others, so they can create compelling new value
for their organizations and customers.

About SRI International
Silicon Valley-based SRI International is one of the world's leading
independent research and technology development organizations. SRI, which was
founded by Stanford University as Stanford Research Institute in 1946 and
became independent in 1970, has been meeting the strategic needs of clients
and partners for more than 60 years. Perhaps best known for its invention of
the computer mouse and interactive computing, SRI has also been responsible
for major advances in networking and communications, robotics, drug discovery
and development, advanced materials, atmospheric research, education research,
economic development, national security, and more. The nonprofit institute
performs sponsored research and development for government agencies,
businesses, and foundations. SRI also licenses its technologies, forms
strategic alliances, and creates spin-off companies. In 2008, SRI's
consolidated revenues, including its wholly owned for-profit subsidiary,
Sarnoff Corporation, were approximately $490 million.

SOURCE SRI International

Ellie Javadi, +1-650-859-4874, ellie.javadi@sri.com, or Dina Basin,
+1-650-859-3845, dina.basin@sri.com, both of SRI International