Applied Biosystems Innovation Enables Accurate, Quantitative Gene Expression Analysis of Very Small or Rare Samples; TaqMan(R) PreAmp Master Mix Kit Addresses Unmet Need to Generate Robust Real-Time PCR Results From Limited Amounts of RNA

Applied Biosystems (NYSE:ABI), an Applera Corporation
business, today announced the launch of a commercial reagent mix that
enables accurate, quantitative, real-time gene expression analysis on
very small or rare samples. The TaqMan(R) PreAmp Master Mix Kit is
intended to address the challenge faced by researchers working with
precious samples to extract enough mRNA to perform advanced gene
expression analyses using real-time PCR (polymerase chain reaction).
Real-time PCR is a laboratory method used to simultaneously
quantify and amplify DNA. Previous commercially available
pre-amplification methods designed to analyze small samples using
real-time PCR have been limited in their effectiveness because they
inconsistently amplify the starting material, resulting in biased and
inaccurate gene amplification. These methods are also typically
laborious and time-intensive for researchers, with some methods
requiring more than ten hours of manual steps and PCR cycling time. As
a result, many of these samples remain archived as opposed to being
studied for the important molecular information they may contain.
The TaqMan PreAmp Master Mix Kit addresses this challenge with an
optimized formulation that works with a multiplexed pool of up to 100
TaqMan Gene Expression Assays. The result is a 1,000-16,000-fold
increase in gene transcripts available for analysis. The simple
process enables researchers to perform uniform and unbiased
amplification of as little as one nanogram of cDNA, and takes only 15
additional minutes of hands-on time and 1.5 hours of PCR cycling time.
Researchers can then conduct up to 200 real-time PCR reactions per
pre-amplification reaction without compromising their available sample
material.
Researchers at the Fox Chase Cancer Center are using the TaqMan
PreAmp Master Mix Kit to analyze its laser microdissected samples of
hepatitis C-infected liver cells.
"Using the TaqMan PreAmp Master Mix Kit we achieved nearly 100%
efficient amplification of our target sequences with reproducible
results using varying numbers of cells as starting material," said
Renata Coudry, M.D., Ph.D., manager for Fox Chase Cancer Center's
laser capture microdissection facility. "The balance of targets in the
sample remains the same, enabling truly quantitative analysis. This
new amplification method will expand the use of gene expression
profiling to characterize limited cell populations, including
virus-infected cells."
The TaqMan PreAmp Master Mix Kit accepts from one to 250 nanograms
of cDNA generated using random primers. The kit is optimized for use
with the TaqMan Gene Expression Assay product line and the Applied
Biosystems family of Real-Time PCR Systems.
"We developed the TaqMan PreAmp Master Mix Kit in response to
requests from clinical researchers working with laser capture
microdissected samples, needle biopsies, paraffin-embedded tissues and
other samples with limited amounts of RNA," said Carl Hull, vice
president and general manager for sequence detection systems at
Applied Biosystems. "As a result, our customers now have access to a
robust way to stretch limited samples, perform real-time, quantitative
analysis on more gene targets and even conduct gene expression
analysis on samples that were previously impossible to study."
More information is available at
http://preamp.appliedbiosystems.com.

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 and develop new pharmaceuticals. Applied
Biosystems' products also serve the needs of some markets outside of
life science research, which we refer to as "applied markets," such as
the fields of: human identity testing (forensic and paternity
testing); biosecurity, which refers to products needed in response to
the threat of biological terrorism and other malicious, accidental,
and natural biological dangers; and quality and safety testing, for
example in food and the environment. Applied Biosystems is
headquartered in Foster City, CA, and reported sales of nearly $1.8
billion during fiscal 2005. The Celera Genomics Group is primarily a
molecular diagnostics business that is using proprietary genomics and
proteomics discovery platforms to identify and validate novel
diagnostic markers, and is developing diagnostic products based on
these markers as well as other known markers. Celera Genomics
maintains a strategic alliance with Abbott Laboratories for the
development and commercialization of molecular, or nucleic acid-based,
diagnostic products, and it is also developing new diagnostic products
outside of this alliance. Through its genomics and proteomics research
efforts, Celera Genomics is also discovering and validating
therapeutic targets, and it is seeking strategic partnerships to
develop therapeutic products based on these discovered targets.
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/.

Applied Biosystems Forward Looking Statements

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, "planned," 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) rapidly changing technology and dependence
on the development and customer acceptance of new products; (2) sales
dependent on customers' capital spending policies and
government-sponsored research; and (3) 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.

Purchase of TaqMan(R) PreAmp Master Mix includes an immunity from
suit under patents specified in the product insert to use only the
amount purchased for the purchaser's own internal research. No other
patent rights are conveyed expressly, by implication, or by estoppel.
Further information on purchasing licenses may be obtained by
contacting the Director of Licensing, Applied Biosystems, 850 Lincoln
Centre Drive, Foster City, California 94404, USA.

Copyright(C) 2006. Applera Corporation. All rights reserved.
Applied Biosystems and Celera are registered trademarks and Applera
and Celera Genomics are trademarks of Applera Corporation or its
subsidiaries in the U.S. and/or certain other countries. TaqMan is a
registered trademark of Roche Molecular Systems, Inc.