EAGAN, MN - April 17, 2002 - Retired U.S. Army Lieutenant General Charles W. ("Bill") Dyke has joined Biopolymer Engineering, Inc. as senior vice president of government relations. He will lead the company's efforts to obtain joint research agreements with and product sales to domestic and foreign government and military organizations.

Biopolymer Engineering is a leading biotechnology company in the field of complex carbohydrates. Animal studies by various U.S. and Canadian military organizations have shown the efficacy of Biopolymer Engineering's WGP Beta Glucan product in treating and preventing anthrax infection and radiation sickness in mice. The company plans to conduct additional research to develop pharmaceuticals for military and civilian use.

"Bill Dyke's distinguished military service and continued participation in international defense issues provides Biopolymer Engineering with an experienced and credible liaison to the government and military community," said Richard G. Mueller, president and chief executive officer of Biopolymer Engineering. "Bill will broaden the scope of our contacts and relationships, which we are confident will further facilitate the development of new treatments for bioterrorism threats."

"I look forward to the challenges and opportunities of working with a first-class company on the cutting edge of biotechnology as is Biopolymer Engineering," Bill Dyke said.

Bill Dyke retired from the U.S. Army as Lieutenant General (three-star) in 1988 after more than 34 years of service. He founded and is chairman and CEO of International Technology & Trade Associates, Inc., an international business consulting firm (www.itta.com). He continues to pursue a broad range of interests in defense, technology and trade policies. He is an Adjunct Fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies; serves as a Corporate Council Member for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund; is a lifetime member of the National Defense Industrial Association, a member of the Association of the U.S. Army, the Air Force Association, the Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association, and the Washington Institute of Foreign Affairs. He is a frequent speaker at conferences and industry association meetings.

Bill Dyke served extensively in Europe, including tours with operational units as a junior officer, as an Assistant Division Commander and Community Commander, and at SHAPE as Executive to the Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR). In the 1980s, he served as the Deputy Chief of Staff, Operations and Plans, U.S. Army, Europe and as Commanding General 8th Infantry Division (Mechanized). In Asia, Bill Dyke served in Korea as a Company Commander in the early 1960s. His 33 months of service in Vietnam included battalion command and duty as G-3 (Operations and Plans) with the 101st Airborne Division. Bill Dyke's final assignment was in Asia as Commanding General, U.S. Army, Japan and IX Corps, from 1985 to 1988. Assignments in the U.S. included duty as Executive to the Secretary of the Army, Commander of the Ist Brigade, 101st Airborne Division, and with the Office, Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations, Department of the Army, as head of the Army's cooperative weapons development and production program with NATO allies. This assignment was followed by Joint Staff duty where Bill also served as the Vice Director, J-3 (Operations), Joint Staff, and subsequently as Vice Director, Joint Staff. During this Joint Staff assignment, he headed the Contingency Review Group, reporting directly to the Chairman, JCS. This planning group was responsible for much of the detailed analysis and staff work required to form the Rapid Deployment Joint Task Force that evolved into the U.S. Central Command, now responsible for the Middle East and Persian Gulf region.

Over an Army career that included 12 years as a General Officer, Bill Dyke gained substantial experience in the formulation and execution of foreign and national security policy, strategic planning, project management, and the direction of multi-national programs. As a senior commander in both Europe and Japan, he worked with military, diplomatic, political and business leaders to enhance understanding of the U.S. military and to promote the rationale for forward deployed units.

Bill Dyke is a graduate of the U.S. Army War College, and holds a MA degree in International Affairs (1968) from the George Washington University (Sino-Soviet Institute), a Master of Military Art and Science (MMA) from the U.S. Army Command and General Staff Colleges (1967), and a BA in History from the University of Southern Mississippi (1963). During his service with the U.S. Army, he was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal twice, the Silver Star twice, the Defense Superior Service Medal, the Legion of Merit four times, the Purple Heart, the Japanese Order of the Rising Sun (2nd Class), and numerous other U.S. and foreign badges and awards.