Applied DNA Sciences Opens East Coast Sales and Marketing Office; Company Names Douglas Falkner as Managing Director of East Coast Operations.

Business Editors

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 17, 2003

Applied DNA Sciences, Inc. (OTCBB:APDN), a provider of proprietary embedded-DNA biotechnology solutions that protect corporate and government intellectual property from counterfeiting and fraud, announced today it has opened an east coast office in Henderson, North Carolina. The new office will allow the company to market its embedded-DNA authentication solutions to potential customers in the textile, pharmaceutical, and other industries, as well as homeland security agencies located on the east coast.

The company also announced the addition of Douglas Falkner as managing director of east coast operations. Mr. Falkner has extensive experience in marketing, fundraising and financial management. Since the mid-nineties, he has operated his own CPA consultancy and advised a number of successful startup technology companies in the areas of marketing, capital formation, and financial management. Previously, he helped start a very successful multi-million dollar European direct marketing club and telecommunications company. He has also acted as a marketing and fundraising consultant, serving such organizations as the Special Olympics, the World Cancer Research Fund, and Habitat for Humanity.

In the 1980s and early nineties, Mr. Falkner was responsible for very large fundraising and direct marketing campaigns that not only raised hundreds of millions of dollars per year, but also won prestigious national gold medals in the United States, Germany, and the United Kingdom. Mr. Falkner received an MBA in Taxation from the University of Southern California and a B.S. in Business Administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He also is a Certified Public Accountant and a Certified Financial Planner.

Applied DNA's patented embedded-DNA technology addresses the more than $350 billion of counterfeit products sold annually. The company is marketing its DNA solutions via direct sales, channel partners, resellers and strategic alliances. To date, Applied DNA has announced various applications of its technology, including:

-- An embedded-DNA system to "mark" raw textile materials and finished goods. The DNA markers would identify both the country of origin as well as the specific factories where a garment and/or its components were produced. The DNA markers would also protect intellectual property, such as brands, designs, patterns, and trademarked products from counterfeiting and fraud.

-- An embedded-DNA anti-counterfeit label that combines specially processed DNA with anti-counterfeit ink. The ink can be applied to paper, cloth or plastic labels, garment labels, printed onto logos or on any other surface. Applied DNA's proprietary instant-detection function allows for real-time product authentication. Applications combat diversion or counterfeiting of clothing, pharmaceuticals, leather goods, jewelry, wine art, wine, electronics, nuclear power plant parts, auto parts, airplane parts, and nuclear waste.

-- An embedded-DNA microchip with real-time authentication capability. Applications are for use in credit cards, security cards, smart cards, passports, driver's licenses, and semi-conductor boards. The embedded-DNA chip can be integrated with biometric solutions including fingerprint, facial recognition, voice recognition and passwords.

About Applied DNA Sciences, Inc.

Applied DNA Sciences, Inc. provides proprietary embedded-DNA biotechnology solutions that verify authenticity and protect corporate and government agencies from counterfeiting, fraud, piracy, product diversion, and unauthorized intrusion. Applied DNA has an exclusive licensing and partnership agreement covering North America and Europe with Biowell Technology, Inc. (http://www.biowell.com.tw/eng/home.htm) of Taiwan. The company develops, markets, and sub-licenses DNA security systems, supply-chain management systems and anti-counterfeit solutions. Applied DNA's technology addresses the more than $350 billion of counterfeit products sold each year as well as the multi-billion dollar homeland security market.

The company is headquartered at 9255 W. Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90069; Tel: [phone]; Fax: [phone] or visit www.ADNAS.com.

The statements made by Applied DNA Sciences, Inc. (the Company) may be forward-looking in nature and are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements describe the Company's future plans, projections, strategies and expectations, and are based on assumptions and involve a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the control of Applied DNA Sciences, Inc. Actual results could differ materially from those projected due to changes in interest rates, market competition, changes in the local and national economies, and various other factors. The Company undertakes no obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statements to reflect new information, events or circumstances after the date hereof to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.