Applied Biosystems/MDS Analytical Technologies' Software Expands Detection of Chemical Contaminants in Food and Water.

Analyst[R] Software Application for Mass Spectrometry Systems Identifies More Than 600 Substances

FOSTER CITY, Calif. -- Public concern over the safety of food and drinking water is increasingly in the news around the world. Already this year, there have been reports of tainted rice from China, food coloring additives in Europe, and traces of pharmaceuticals found in drinking water in more than 25 metropolitan areas in the United States. This presents a challenge for national governments and local municipalities to deploy more testing capabilities to prevent public health situations created by the potentially toxic effects of these chemicals.

As part of its commitment to providing the tools that public health laboratories, food companies and water authorities need to protect consumers, Applied Biosystems (NYSE:ABI), an Applera Corporation business, and its joint-venture partner, MDS Analytical Technologies, a business unit of MDS Inc. (NYSE:MDZ)(TSX:MDS), have expanded the capabilities of Analyst[R] Software to improve the identification of contaminants in food and water. This mass spectrometry-based solution is capable of identifying more than 600 contaminants in a single analysis, more than doubling the amount that can be detected by alternative testing solutions.

Among the laboratories using the newly expanded contaminant testing application is Eurofins, a leading international group of laboratories that provides testing services to the food, environmental, pharmaceutical and consumer products industries. By detecting a broader range of contaminants with the new application, Eurofins is obtaining more precise information that improves the quantitative accuracy of contaminant testing results.

"Expanding the range of contaminants that we can identify is a necessity for us to be able to better inform our customers of the true levels of contamination in their products, so that appropriate action can be taken," said Thomas Anspach, Ph.D., a scientist at Eurofins. "Applied Biosystems/MDS Analytical Technologies' contaminant-testing application is not just about a larger number of chemicals detected. It is also about greater intelligence for more comprehensive screening to help ensure food and water safety."

The latest release of Analyst Software - version 1.5 - simplifies the use of mass spectrometry for routine testing of contaminants and various derivatives that may have previously been elusive or missed altogether by other technologies. Mass spectrometry is an advanced scientific technique used to analyze compounds based on their molecular composition. The new application is powered by an innovative feature known as scheduled multiple reaction monitoring (MRM). This is the only automated process for scheduling monitoring times to overlap for more efficient screening and quantifying of contaminants. It is a significant advancement over existing methods, which require fixed monitoring times that run in parallel, narrowing the number of contaminants that can be detected in a single analysis, resulting in a slower, less efficient process. The new scheduled MRM capabilities can also be applied for more accurate results in forensic toxicology and clinical research.

Analyst Software is part of the complete workflow solution that Applied Biosystems/MDS Analytical Technologies provides to drive increased laboratory productivity. The software is optimized for the joint venture's industry-leading line of mass spectrometry instrument systems. It features a simplified software interface that deploys the various analytical capabilities of the instrument system, providing quicker access to more accurate results.

"Food and water safety continue to be a priority for public health officials as well as consumers," said Joseph Anacleto, senior director of Applied Biosystems' food and environmental testing group. "Applied Biosystems/MDS Analytical Technologies' innovative solutions provide information to help officials effectively respond to the issue."

The Applied Biosystems/MDS Analytical Technologies joint venture has a more than 20-year history of innovation and is a market leader in mass spectrometry with more than 12,000 systems installed in laboratories worldwide. It is focused on providing the required combination of platforms, software and workflows to help scientists advance their scientific-based testing.

"The expanding suite of Applied Biosystems/MDS Analytical Technologies' software applications increases the productivity of scientists through one-touch solutions based on world-class mass spectrometry technology," said Andy Boorn, president of MDS Analytical Technologies. "We have adapted this technology to the point where a much broader variety of scientists and technicians can use these powerful tools for application-specific purposes as vital as food and water contaminant testing."

For more information about Analyst 1.5 Software, please visit: www.appliedbiosystems.com

About Applera Corporation and Applied Biosystems

Applera Corporation consists of two operating groups. Applied Biosystems 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, such as testing required for food and pharmaceutical manufacturing. Applied Biosystems is headquartered in Foster City, CA, and reported sales of approximately $2.1 billion during fiscal 2007. The Celera Group is a diagnostics business delivering personalized disease management through a combination of products and services incorporating proprietary discoveries. Berkeley HeartLab, a subsidiary of Celera, offers services to predict cardiovascular disease risk and optimize patient management. Celera also commercializes a wide range of molecular diagnostic products through its strategic alliance with Abbott and has licensed other relevant diagnostic technologies developed to provide personalized disease management in cancer and liver diseases. 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. 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 unless required by law.

About MDS Analytical Technologies

MDS Analytical Technologies is a newly established MDS Inc. business unit and is a world-class organization comprised of two main lines of business. The Sciex product portfolio offers proven market leadership in mass spectrometry through its joint ventures with two of the world's leading analytical instrumentation and life sciences companies, Applied Biosystems, a business of Applera Corporation, and PerkinElmer Inc. Molecular Devices' product portfolio is the gold standard in high-performance bioanalytical measurement systems that accelerate and improve drug discovery and other life sciences research. Find out more at www.moleculardevices.com or www.mdssciex.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," "expect," 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 and dependence on the development and customer acceptance of new products; (2) sales dependent on customers' spending policies; 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.

(c) 2008 Applera Corporation and MDS Inc. Joint Owners. All rights reserved. For research use only. Not for use in diagnostic procedures. Applera, Applied Biosystems, and AB (Design) are registered trademarks of Applera Corporation or its subsidiaries in the US and/or certain other countries. Analyst is a registered trademark of Applied Biosystems/MDS Analytical Technologies, a joint venture between Applera Corporation and MDS Inc.