Applied Biosystems Announces Major Expansion of TaqMan SNP Genotyping Assays Product Line

FOSTER CITY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 30, 2004--

Nearly Two Million Assays Now Available Via the Applied Biosystems Web Site

“With this expanded product line, Applied Biosystems now offers many more assay choices to researchers conducting candidate gene, gene-region, and disease association or mapping studies. Our nearly two million SNP genotyping assays, combined with easy-to-use, knowledge-based software tools, can make these studies more efficient, productive and scalable”

Applied Biosystems (NYSE:ABI), an Applera Corporation business, today announced a major expansion of its TaqMan(R) SNP Genotyping Assays for functional genomics research. The newly available assays include an inventory of more than 30,000 TaqMan(R) Coding SNP Genotyping Assays, for researchers studying single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within protein coding regions of genes, and more than 1.8 million TaqMan(R) Pre-Designed SNP Genotyping Assays that can be made to order.

The new TaqMan(R) Pre-Designed SNP Genotyping Assays complement the more than 150,000 validated SNP genotyping assays previously available to provide more robust coverage of the genome for gene-finding, human disease association studies, and other applications. Formerly known as the Assays-on-Demand(TM) products, Applied Biosystems TaqMan(R) SNP Genotyping Assays eliminate the labor, expense, and bioinformatics expertise previously necessary for generating high quality human SNP genotyping data. The assays are part of the Applied Biosystems genotyping solution, which also includes the Applied Biosystems Real-Time PCR Systems, the SNPlex(TM) Genotyping System, and Celera Discovery System(TM) (CDS) online platform.

"With this expanded product line, Applied Biosystems now offers many more assay choices to researchers conducting candidate gene, gene-region, and disease association or mapping studies. Our nearly two million SNP genotyping assays, combined with easy-to-use, knowledge-based software tools, can make these studies more efficient, productive and scalable," said Michael W. Hunkapiller, Ph.D., President of Applied Biosystems. "Further, disease researchers should derive significant benefit from the availability of the new set of TaqMan(R) Coding SNP Genotyping Assays, which are particularly important for direct association studies as these SNPs are thought to cause functional changes in proteins that may be responsible for various diseases."

Applied Biosystems also offers Custom TaqMan(R) SNP Genotyping Assays, formerly known as the Assays-by-Design(SM) Service, which are available for any organism, and any viable SNP, including polymorphisms caused by insertions and deletions. This confidential and secure service complements the available human assays for those researchers studying other organisms or who are studying novel human SNPs that may not be included in the inventoried or pre-designed assay sets.

Ordering Information

TaqMan(R) SNP Genotyping Assays are available either through the free Applied Biosystems SNPbrowser(TM) Software or online at www.myscience.appliedbiosystems.com. Customers can also download a catalog for offline browsing at https://panther.appliedbiosystems.com/Catalog/. Researchers can download the SNPbrowser(TM) visualization software through the Applied Biosystems Web site at www.allsnps.com/SNPbrowser to access a gene-centric, genome-wide SNP map, practical study design parameters, and links to pre-validated TaqMan(R) SNP Genotyping Assays. The new, expanded collection of SNP assays is expected to be available through the SNPbrowser(TM) software in the coming months.

The Web interface offers a choice of powerful search options that enable researchers to quickly identify assays relevant to their research. Search options include key words (such as gene symbols), public accession numbers, classification by molecular function, and a batch identification function that allows scientists to import a file of many targets to search simultaneously. Customers are provided with Celera, NCBI, and reagent identification numbers as well as other pertinent biological information. Interested parties may browse the online catalog free of charge.

Real-Time PCR for SNP Genotyping

The TaqMan(R) SNP Genotyping Assays utilize the same 5' nuclease chemistry that has become the gold standard for gene expression studies. For genotyping applications, two probes are present to detect both alleles. In addition to being able to detect SNP mutations, this same chemistry can detect insertions and deletions. Genotype data is easily visualized in the software provided with the Real-Time PCR instruments.

About Applera Corporation and Applied Biosystems

Applera Corporation consists of two operating groups. The Applied Biosystems Group serves the life science industry and research community by developing and marketing instrument-based systems, consumables, software, and services. Customers use these tools to analyze nucleic acids (DNA and RNA), small molecules, and proteins to make scientific discoveries, develop new pharmaceuticals, and conduct standardized testing. Applied Biosystems is headquartered in Foster City, CA, and reported sales of $1.7 billion during fiscal 2003. The Celera Genomics Group (NYSE:CRA), located in Rockville, MD, and South San Francisco, CA, is engaged principally in integrating advanced technologies to discover and develop new therapeutics. Celera intends to leverage its proteomic, bioinformatic, and genomic capabilities to identify and validate drug targets, and to discover and develop new therapeutics. Its Celera Discovery System(TM) online platform, marketed exclusively by Applied Biosystems, is an integrated source of information based on the human genome and other biological and medical sources. Celera Diagnostics, a 50/50 joint venture between Applied Biosystems and Celera Genomics, is focused on discovery, development, and commercialization of novel diagnostic products. Information about Applera Corporation, including reports and other information filed by the company with the Securities and Exchange Commission, is available at http://www.applera.com, or by telephoning 800.762.6923. Information about Applied Biosystems is available at http://www.appliedbiosystems.com/.

Certain statements in this press release are forward-looking. These may be identified by the use of forward-looking words or phrases such as "believe," "expect," "plans," and "should" among others. These forward-looking statements are based on Applera Corporation's current expectations. The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 provides a "safe harbor" for such forward-looking statements. In order to comply with the terms of the safe harbor, Applera Corporation notes that a variety of factors could cause actual results and experience to differ materially from the anticipated results or other expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements. These factors include but are not limited to (1) rapidly changing technology and dependence on the development of new products; (2) sales dependent on customers' capital spending policies and government-sponsored research; (3) Applied Biosystems' dependence on the operation of computer hardware, software, and Internet applications and related technology; (4) unproven use of genomics information to develop or commercialize products; and (5) other factors that might be described from time to time in Applera Corporation's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. All information in this press release is as of the date of the release, and Applera does not undertake any duty to update this information, including any forward-looking statements, unless required by law.

Copyright(C) 2004. Applera Corporation. All rights reserved. Applied Biosystems is a registered trademark and Applera, Assays-on-Demand, Celera, Celera Diagnostics, Celera Discovery System, and Celera Genomics are trademarks of Applera Corporation or its subsidiaries in the U.S. and/or certain other countries.

For Research Use Only. Not for use in diagnostic procedures.

TaqMan is a registered trademark of Roche Molecular Systems, Inc.