<PAGE>

                                                                    EXHIBIT 99.2

                                  CERTIFICATION
            PURSUANT TO SECTION 302 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002

I, Heinrich Gugger, certify that:

  1.    I have reviewed the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended
        December 31, 2002 of Paradigm Genetics, Inc. (the "Annual Report");

  2.    Based on my knowledge, the Annual Report does not contain any untrue
        statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact
        necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances
        under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect
        to the period covered by the Annual Report;

  3.    Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial
        information included in the Annual Report, fairly present in all
        material respects the financial condition, results of operations and
        cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented
        in the Annual Report;

  4.    The registrant's other certifying officers and I are responsible for
        establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as
        defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-14 and 15d-14) for the registrant
        and have:

        a)    designed such disclosure controls and procedures to ensure
              that material information relating to the registrant is made
              known to us by others within the organization, particularly
              during the period in which the Annual Report is being
              prepared;

        b)    evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant's disclosure
              controls and procedures as of a date within 90 days prior to
              the filing date of the Annual Report (the "Evaluation Date");
              and

        c)    presented in the Annual Report our conclusions about the
              effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures based
              on our evaluation as of the Evaluation Date;

  5.    The registrant's other certifying officers and I have disclosed,
        based on our most recent evaluation, to the registrant's auditors
        and the audit committee of registrant's board of directors (or
        persons performing the equivalent functions):

        a)    all significant deficiencies in the design or operation of
              internal controls which could adversely affect the
              registrant's ability to record, process, summarize and report
              financial data and have identified for the registrant's
              auditors any material weaknesses in internal controls; and

        b)    any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management
              or other employees who have a significant role in the
              registrant's internal controls; and

  6.    The registrant's other certifying officers and I have indicated in
        the Annual Report whether there were significant changes in internal
        controls or in other factors that could significantly affect
        internal controls subsequent to the date of our most recent
        evaluation, including any corrective actions with regard to
        significant deficiencies and material weaknesses.

        Dated: March 27, 2003          /s/ Heinrich Gugger
                                       -------------------------------------
                                       President and Chief Executive Officer