Biotechnology Partnership

Tate & Lyle PLC
                  Tate & Lyle PLC and Microbia Precision Engineering, Inc. form partnership to
develop and commercialise fermentation-derived renewable ingredients

2 October, 2006

Tate & Lyle, a world leader in renewable ingredients, and Microbia Precision
Engineering, Inc, today have formed a multi-year partnership to develop
fermentation-derived renewable ingredients.

Precision Engineering®, a subsidiary of US-based entrepreneurial pharmaceutical
company Microbia, specialises in the development of highly efficient microbial
manufacturing technology. Tate & Lyle is one of the world’s major fermentation
producers with long standing experience in fermentation markets, process
development, manufacturing and carbohydrate feedstock supply. The partnership
will leverage these synergies.

As part of the agreement, Tate & Lyle will invest US$7 million to acquire a
minority shareholding in Microbia Precision Engineering, Inc, and take one seat
on the board. In addition, Tate & Lyle will invest a further US$13.75 million in
research and development over a period of five years. The two companies will
work exclusively together within defined renewable ingredient markets and will
share the profits from products commercialised through their collaboration.

The partnership will stimulate new product development and reduce time to
commercialisation. Prospective third-party collaborators will be able to work
with the new partnership and benefit from access to the complete value chain
from feedstock to manufactured fermentation product.

Iain Ferguson, Chief Executive, Tate & Lyle said, “In the last decade, Tate &
Lyle has established fermentation as a core technological competency. This has
proved a catalyst for new product development, leading to ground-breaking
ingredients such as Bio-PDOâ„¢ (developed with our joint venture partners DuPont).
We look forward to partnering with Precision Engineering®. Their excellent
reputation in the field of microbial technology is well deserved.”

“This collaboration marks an important step in the development of our Precision
Engineering® business into a product-based organisation,” said Richard Bailey,
President of the Microbia Precision Engineering, Inc. subsidiary. “Not only are
we aligning ourselves with an established and well-respected company, but we are
retaining the rights to become full commercial partners for products we
introduce into the collaboration which will contribute to our continued growth.”

For more press/ investor information:

Tate & Lyle PLC

Mark Robinson (Investor Relations) [phone],
[e-mail]

Ferne Hudson (Press) [phone], [e-mail]

Microbia Precision Engineering, Inc.

Susan Brady (Corporate Communications) [phone], [e-mail]

For more information on working with the partnership:

Tate & Lyle PLC: Jeff Lievense [phone], [e-mail]

Pete Castelli [phone], [e-mail]

Microbia Precision Engineering, Inc: Richard Bailey (President) [phone];
[e-mail]

About Tate & Lyle:

Tate & Lyle is a world leading manufacturer of renewable food and industrial
ingredients. It uses innovative technology to transform corn, wheat and sugar
into value-added ingredients for customers in the food, beverage,
pharmaceutical, cosmetic, paper, packaging and building industries. The Company
is a leader in cereal sweeteners and starches, sugar refining, value added food
and industrial ingredients, and citric acid. Tate & Lyle is the world number-one
in industrial starches and is the sole manufacturer of SPLENDA® Sucralose.

Tate & Lyle is one of the world’s major fermentation producers having 17
fermentation plants on four continents. Its portfolio includes biogums (such as
xanthan gum), Aquasta®, a natural source of astaxanthin (in partnership with
Igene); industrial chemical and polymer ingredient Bio-PDOâ„¢ (in partnership with
DuPont); citric acid; monosodium glutamate (Orsan Guangzhou venture); potable
alcohol; and fuel grade ethanol.

Headquartered in London, Tate & Lyle is listed on the London Stock Exchange
under the symbol TATE.L. In the US its ADRs trade under TATYY. The Company
operates more than 65 production facilities in 29 countries, throughout Europe,
the Americas and South East Asia. It employs 7,000 people in its subsidiaries
with a further 4,800 employed in joint ventures. Sales in the year to 31 March
2006 totalled £3.7 billion. Additional information can be found on this website.

SPLENDA® is a trademark of McNeil Nutritionals, LLC

About Microbia Precision Engineering, Inc:

Microbia Precision Engineering, Inc. is a majority-owned subsidiary of Microbia
Inc. (www.microbia.com), a privately held entrepreneurial pharmaceutical company
located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Microbia was spun off from the Whitehead
Institute of Biomedical Research at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
(MIT).

The Precision Engineering® business develops highly efficient bioprocesses for a
range of applications, both for internal development and in collaboration with
leading chemical, pharmaceutical, and renewable ingredients manufacturers.
Collaborations have been established with well-respected multinational companies
such as DuPont, Novus International, Ranbaxy Laboratories Ltd., Teva
Pharmaceutical Industries, Tate & Lyle PLC, and Biocon Ltd.