Teens Submit More than 20 Video Entries Describing Germs

Cambridge Science Festival and Cubist Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: CBST) today announced the winners of the 2014 Germ Challenge, a contest designed to engage young people in science by inviting them to develop educational and creative videos that demonstrate their knowledge of germs and ability to communicate scientific concepts in a way that appeals to the general public.

The Germ Challenge contest yielded more than 20 entries submitted by individuals and teams age 15-20 years old. Participants submitted a 30-second to five minute video answering the question: “What is a Germ?” Entries were first evaluated by a panel of Cubist scientists for scientific accuracy. The entries were then judged based on audience appeal and understanding by more than 100 fifth graders in Massachusetts.

The Germ Challenge individual winner is Christine Conley, a 16-year-old from Boston, Mass. She will receive a GoPro video camera for her winning submission. The team winner is the Boston Latin School’s Illuminate Club, which will receive a $1,500 gift certificate to purchase science supplies. Honorable mention awardees are Emma J. Lichtenstein, science teacher at Newton North High School, for having her entire class participate in the contest; and Extended Arms after-school program in Randolph, Mass. for their submission.

The winners were recognized at the Cambridge Science Festival’s science video event on April 22, and their videos will also be shown at the official closing ceremonies on April 27. The winning videos can be viewed here: http://www.cambridgesciencefestival.org/2014Festival/TheGermChallenge.aspx

Michael Bonney, Chief Executive Officer of Cubist, said, “Making science fun and engaging is an important way to ignite curiosity to learn more, and we were delighted by the strong showing in this year’s Germ Challenge. The quality of the submissions were impressive as many of the entrants combined science and creativity to produce engaging videos that educate their peers about germs as well as what they can do to help prevent them. We are proud to collaborate with the Cambridge Science Festival on this initiative and our mutual goal of building enthusiasm for science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) learning.”

P. A. d’Arbeloff, Director of Cambridge Science Festival and Science on the Street, said, “We were thrilled with the response to the Germ Challenge. The Germ Challenge illustrates the Festival’s mission of providing a hands-on, fun approach to science while highlighting the impact science has on our daily lives. We are pleased to collaborate with Cubist, a leader in antibiotics research and development, to make this program an important part of the Festival.”

About Cubist

Cubist Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is a global biopharmaceutical company focused on the research, development, and commercialization of pharmaceutical products that address significant unmet medical needs in the acute care environment. Cubist is headquartered in Lexington, Massachusetts, with a central international office located in Zurich, Switzerland. Additional information can be found at Cubist’s web site at www.cubist.com. Also, connect with Cubist on Twitter @cubistbiopharma and @cubistcareers, LinkedIn, or YouTube.

About Cambridge Science Festival

The Cambridge Science Festival is a celebration showcasing the leading edge in STEAM. A multifaceted, multicultural event every spring, the festival makes science accessible, interactive, and fun, while highlighting the impact of science on all our lives. Additional information can be found at http://www.cambridgesciencefestival.org.

Cambridge Science FestivalP.A. d’Arbeloff, 617-519-0428padarb@mit.eduCubistJulie DiCarlo, 781-860-8063julie.dicarlo@cubist.com