Applied Biosystems announces SNPlex™ ultra high throughput genotyping system

FOSTER CITY, CA - Applied Biosystems Group (NYSE:ABI), an Applera Corporation business, announced the SNPlexTM system, a reagent and software product designed to allow researchers to conduct ultra high throughput genotyping using the Applied Biosystems 3730xl and 3730 DNA Analyzers. This genotyping product could enable production scale laboratories to analyze more than one million genotypes per instrument per day, at an expected cost as low as one cent or less per genotype.

The SNPlexTM system uses multiplexing (multiple reactions in a single tube or well) to rapidly identify large numbers of target genetic sequences in a single biological sample. It is based on Applied Biosystems' proprietary oligonucleotide ligation reagent and electrophoretic detection technology. This technology is also employed in the Celera Diagnostics cystic fibrosis test, which has become one of the leading tests for detection of mutations associated with this disease.

The SNPlexTM system will operate on the same instrument platform widely used for sequencing and linkage mapping, and can be used with both customer-identified SNPs (single nucleotide polymorphisms), and with those identified by Applied Biosystems as part of the Applera Genomics Initiative. The combination of instruments, reagents, and software is expected to offer one of the most powerful and cost effective genotyping systems available. Collaborative projects with customers are underway, with broader product release expected by mid-calendar 2003.

"We believe the SNPlexTM system can offer significant advantages in cost and flexibility compared to array-based approaches that rely on ultra high throughput multiplexing schemes," said Michael W. Hunkapiller, Ph.D., President of Applied Biosystems. "With these methods, the effort to achieve ultra high multiplexing can result in an unacceptably expensive and lengthy assay development process. We anticipate that our new capillary electrophoresis genotyping solution should allow customers conducting whole genome scans and other ultra high throughput studies to analyze genetic diversity more quickly and economically using our market-leading, automated electrophoresis systems."

By providing an ultra high throughput, high-multiplex solution to SNP genotyping, the SNPlexTM system is expected to complement the popular Applied Biosystems Sequence Detection Systems (SDS) products using TaqMan® chemistry, which are geared to lower-to-high throughput genotyping studies.

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 diagnostic marker candidates, and to discover and develop new therapeutics. Its Celera Discovery SystemTM 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 diagnostics products. Information about Applera Corporation, including reports and other information filed by the company with the Securities and Exchange Commission, is available on the World Wide Web at http://www.applera.com, or by telephoning 800.762.6923. Information about Applied Biosystems is available on the World Wide Web 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," "should," and "planned," 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 could adversely affect demand for Applied Biosystems' products, and its business is dependent on development of new products; (2) Applied Biosystems' sales are dependent on customers' capital spending policies and government-sponsored research; (3) uncertainty of the availability to Applied Biosystems of intellectual property protection and the risk to Applied Biosystems of infringement claims; and (4) 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© 2003. Applera Corporation. All rights reserved. Applied Biosystems is a registered trademark and Applera, Assays-on-Demand, Celera, Celera Diagnostics, Celera Discovery System, Celera Genomics, and SNPlex are trademarks of Applera Corporation or its subsidiaries in the U.S. and certain other countries.

TaqMan is registered trademark of Roche Molecular Systems, Inc.