AMERSHAM PHARMACIA'S NEW KIT IMPROVES DNA SEQUENCING.

Amersham Pharmacia Biotech, Piscataway, N.J., has introduced the TempliPhi(TM) template amplification kit, an innovative new product that will significantly reduce the time and cost of DNA sequencing by improving the efficiency of DNA sample, or template, preparation.

Amersham Pharmacia Biotech is a provider of instruments and reagents for DNA sequencing with products such as the MegaBACE(TM) DNA Analysis System and DYEnamic(TM) ET Terminator kits. The introduction of TempliPhi expands Amersham Pharmacia Biotech's genomics offering into the sequencing template preparation market.

Preparing samples for sequencing is one of the most time-consuming steps in the process. Current template preparation methods rely on a labor-intensive, multi-step procedure that can take up to 24 hours and produce DNA of varying quality and quantity. Using a technology called Rolling Circle Amplification (RCA) and a DNA polymerase licensed exclusively to Amersham Pharmacia Biotech, the new TempliPhi method provides a cost-effective alternative to growing bacteria and purifying the template prior to sequencing. TempliPhi allows researchers to produce ready-to-use DNA of a consistent quality and quantity in just four hours, using two easily automated steps.

"With the worldwide growth in sequencing, there is an increasing demand for products that reduce the time and cost of sequencing sample preparation." said Mark Sutherland, vice president for Genomics, Amersham Pharmacia Biotech. "We believe TempliPhi provides researchers with a way to meet the demands of today's high-throughput sequencing instruments and that it will significantly advance template preparation."

Amersham Pharmacia Biotech, the life sciences business of Nycomed Amersham plc (LSE:NAM; NYSE: NYE), is a leading global provider of biotechnology systems, products and services for research into genes and proteins, for the discovery and development of drugs and for the manufacture of biopharmaceuticals. The customers for Amersham Pharmacia Biotech's products and technology are pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies and research and academic institutions, principally in North America, Europe, Latin America and Asia.

For more information, call 732/457-8056 or 800/526-3593 x8056 or visit www.apbiotech.com.