China Petroleum and Chemical Corporation Selects Symyx for High-Throughput Workflow

SUNNYVALE, Calif., Nov. 2, 2009 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Symyx Technologies, Inc. (Nasdaq:SMMX) today announced it has closed a deal with China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation (Sinopec Corp.) to supply a Zeolite Synthesis Workflow for research in energy and chemical development. This will be the first large-scale implementation of a high-throughput system by Symyx with a Chinese company.

"The China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation is one of the top emerging companies not only in China but in the world and its decision to adopt the Symyx Zeolite Synthesis Workflow provides great validation to our high-throughput experimentation technology," said Isy Goldwasser, CEO of Symyx Technologies. "We look forward to further expanding our presence within China."

The Zeolite Synthesis Workflow utilizes Symyx-pioneered microscale, high-throughput technology for accelerating the pace of breakthrough R&D discoveries. Symyx workflows transform traditional bench science into automated parallel experimentation workflows -- increasing experimental capacity and velocity by 10-100 fold. The Zeolite Synthesis Workflow has been implemented by other companies within the oil and gas industry and has been used internally by Symyx for many years as part of Symyx's research capabilities.

About Sinopec Corp.

Sinopec Corp. is the first Chinese company that has been listed in Hong Kong, New York, London and Shanghai. The Company is an integrated energy and chemical company with upstream, midstream and downstream operations. The principal operations of Sinopec Corp. and its subsidiaries include exploring, developing, producing and trading crude oil and natural gas; processing crude oil into refined oil products; producing, trading, transporting, distributing and marketing refined oil products; and producing and distributing chemical products. Based on 2007 turnover, Sinopec Corp. is the largest listed company in China. The Company is one of the largest crude oil and petrochemical companies in China and Asia. It is also one of the largest gasoline, diesel and jet fuel and other major chemical products producers and distributors in China and Asia.

For additional information about Sinopec Corp., please visit the Company's website at www.sinopec.com.

About Symyx

Symyx Technologies, Inc. (Nasdaq:SMMX) enables companies in life sciences, chemicals and energy, and consumer and industrial products to transform scientific R&D and achieve extraordinary breakthroughs in productivity and return on investment. Symyx scientific information management enables scientists to design, execute, analyze, and report experimental results faster, more easily, and less expensively. Symyx microscale, parallel experimentation enables a single scientist to rapidly explore a broad experimental space and develop comprehensive data sets in days - not weeks or months. Symyx contract research delivers these advantages on a project basis and enables companies to increase R&D productivity, agility, and flexibility. Information about Symyx, including reports and other information filed by Symyx with the Securities and Exchange Commission, is available at www.symyx.com.

The Symyx Technologies, Inc. logo is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=6120

CONTACT:  Racepoint Group
          Raymond Deplazes
          (415) 694-6715
          rdeplazes@racepointgroup.com