FOSTER CITY, Calif., May 13, 2003 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Applied Biosystems Group (NYSE:ABI), an Applera Corporation business, today introduced the Applied Biosystems 7900HT Micro Fluidic Card, an assay system designed for customization with the Applied Biosystems Assays-on-Demand(TM) Gene Expression Products for use on the ABI PRISM (R)7900HT Sequence Detection System.

The Applied Biosystems 7900HT Micro Fluidic Card allows high throughput, parallel analysis of gene expression patterns, and is expected to expedite customers' target discovery programs by allowing researchers to investigate complex biological pathways more quickly and cost-effectively. The 7900HT Micro Fluidic Card is designed for custom configuration using the Applied Biosystems Assays-on-Demand(TM) Gene Expression Products for both human and mouse genes. Customers can create their own micro card configuration online by selecting from over 26,000 Applied Biosystems Assays-on-Demand(TM) Gene Expression Products, which include more than 18,000 gene-specific assays for human genes and over 8,000 gene-specific assays for mouse genes.

"Real-Time PCR using TaqMan(R) probes is a very precise analytical method for the analysis of gene expression. The 7900HT Micro Fluidic Card represents another advance in gene expression technologies from Applied Biosystems that should allow customers to take advantage of this gold standard technology, not only for examining one or a few genes but even tens to hundreds of genes at a time," said Michael W. Hunkapiller, Ph.D., President of Applied Biosystems. "As a result, scientists can look at larger collections of genes to ultimately better understand the pathways and networks involved in complex biological systems."

Online Ordering

The Applied Biosystems 7900HT Micro Fluidic Card can be ordered through the recently enhanced Applied Biosystems e-commerce site at http://store.appliedbiosystems.com/. The 7900HT Micro Fluidic Card is a micro reaction vessel system that supports up to 10 different configuration options with 12-384 assays per card. Interested parties may browse the online catalog of assays free of charge. The 7900HT Micro Fluidic Card was developed in partnership with 3M of St. Paul, Minnesota through a collaboration formed in 1999. The collaboration combines 3M's strengths in material science and manufacturing with Applied Biosystems' strengths in genetic analysis science and technology.

About Applera Corporation and Applied Biosystems

Applera Corporation comprises two operating groups. The Applied Biosystems Group develops and markets instrument-based systems, reagents, software, and contract services to the life science industry and research community. 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 $1.6 billion during fiscal 2002. 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 through the Applied Biosystems Knowledge Business, 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 "should" and "expect," 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) sales dependent on customers' capital spending policies and government-sponsored research; (2) Applied Biosystems' dependence on the operation of computer hardware, software, and Internet applications and related technology; (3) unproven use of genomics information to develop or commercialize products; (4) rapidly changing technology and dependence on development of new 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.

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

ABI PRISM and Applied Biosystems are a registered trademarks and AB (Design), Applera, Assays-on-Demand, Celera, Celera Discovery System, and Celera Genomics are trademarks of Applera Corporation and/or its subsidiaries in the U.S. and certain other countries.

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

The PCR process and 5' nuclease process are covered by patents owned by Roche Molecular Systems, Inc. and F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd.

The Micro Fluidic Card was developed in collaboration with 3M Corp.

SOURCE: Applied Biosystems Group

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