TO:    All News Media Outlets -- Media Advisory
WHAT:  MichBio's Expo & Conference
WHEN:  Conference Sessions: November 3-4,
       Exhibit Hall Hours: Nov. 3, 5-7 p.m., Nov. 4, 8 a.m.-4 p.m.
WHERE: Radisson Plaza Hotel, Kalamazoo

MichBio, the association for Michigan's bioscience industry, will host its 5th Annual Expo & Conference in Kalamazoo next week. The Expo is the largest single gathering of biosciences professionals in the state attracting more than 500 participants and 60 exhibitors last year. Seventy percent of attendees are executives in biosciences companies, research institutions and universities, with another 25 percent representing service providers and other related industries.

Highlights of the two-day conference include:

Day One

--  MichBio High School Career Day hosted by Western Michigan University
--  Tours, including Pfizer Animal Health, Stryker Instruments, Stryker
    Medical, Kalexsyn, Southwest Michigan Innovation Center, Michigan High
    Throughput Screening Center, Borgess Research Institute, Eurofins AvTech
    Laboratories, and Genemarkers.
--  International Spotlight: Israel's Innovative BioMed
--  3rd Annual Emerging Biosciences Showcase featuring two informative VC
    panel discussions and presentations by 16 companies.
--  Business Partnering meetings: GE Healthcare - Johnson & Johnson -
    Medtronic - Merck - Stryker - Takeda - Terumo - Teva Pharmaceutical
    Industries
--  Legislative Town Hall, a Community Conversation to gain input and
    ideas from bioscience industry stakeholders and share them with the state's
    business and political decision-makers.
--  Welcome Reception/Exhibit Hall Opening, with welcome by Ron Kitchens,
    CEO, Southwest Michigan First, and entertainment by a WMU student jazz
    trio, plus a visit by WMU's mascot, Buster Bronco.
--  Bio CEO Dinner Forum with panel discussion, "Charting a Course in
    Uncertain Times."
    

Day Two

--  Emerging Technologies Poster Session
--  Welcome by Dr. John M. Dunn, WMU President and CEO, and Hot Bio-
    Innovations Update
--  Expo College Student Program
--  Morning Track Sessions & Afternoon Workshops in R&D, Medical Affairs &
    Markets, Emerging Business and Manufacturing
--  Keynote Address by Dr. Robert Fischell, Chairman and Founder, Svelte
    Medical Systems  "Innovator of the Year" and "Good to Great" Awards
--  Closing Reception
    

Exhibitors

Aragen Bioscience, Inc., a contract research service provider offering custom and routine solutions for the biotech and pharma industry. www.aragenbio.com

Ash Stevens, a premier, full-service contract research/cGMP manufacturing organization that develops, registers and commercially manufactures Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) for clients in the life sciences industry. www.ashstevens.com

Biotechnology Business Consultants provides a broad range of business development services to early stage life science and technology companies. www.bioconsultants.com

Business Review, the source for Michigan business news: local, regional and statewide. Business Review forums and events, the most widely used website in Michigan, and the highest-caliber weekly business reporting in the region put us above the competition. www.mbusinessreview.com

Calibrate, Inc., the original on-site pipette calibration and repair service. Calibrate, Inc. provides calibration, repair and documentation services for all makes and models of pipettes, bottle-top dispensers, and controllers. www.pipetpeople.com

CAS provides databases, including CA/Caplus(SM) and CAS Registry(SM), the world's largest substance database, accessible through services including STN(R), STN(R) AnaVist(TM), and SciFinder(R). ScienceIP(R) provides searches conducted by CAS subject experts. www.cas.org

Divtech Equipment Co. represents quality instruments in a variety of technologies, including Microfluidics and their high pressure fluid processors, Particle Sizing Systems for their instruments capable of measuring particles, and others. www.divtechequipment.com

Doeren Mayhew's services include: accounting and audit, corporate finance and strategic services, international tax and consulting, IT assurance and security, litigation support and forensic services, payroll services, and tax consulting (including specialized expertise in R&D Tax Credits). www.doeren.com

Drug and Laboratory Disposal is a licensed treatment, storage and disposal facility. DLD offers complete identification, packaging, labeling, manifesting, transportation and disposal of all hazardous and non-hazardous wastes. www.dld-inc.com

Dykema is a Midwest based law firm with national capabilities and 11 offices located in California, Illinois, Michigan, Texas and Washington, D.C. It has developed a specialized biotechnology and life sciences practice composed of attorneys and other professionals from all of our major practice groups. www.dykema.com

e-Zassi.com is the medical device industry's first integrated online business network, decision support software suite and technology marketplace. www.e-zassi.com

Fullscope is one of the largest North American resellers of Process Industries for Microsoft Dynamics AX, a robust ERP system designed specifically to help address the operational, quality and FDA regulation challenges faced by mid-to-large life sciences, pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturers. www.fullscope.com/lifescienceserp

Grand River Aseptic Pharmaceutical Packaging is a parenteral contract manufacturer, providing vial filling, finishing, and lyophilization manufacturing of materials, for large, small, and virtual pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical companies entering into Phase I, II, and III clinical trials. www.grandriverapp.com

Grand Valley State University (GVSU)/West Michigan Science & Technology Initiative (WMSTI) GVSU offers three innovative Professional Science Masters (M.S. in Medical and Bioinformatics, M.S.