Applied Biosystems/MDS SCIEX Announces New Software for MS-Based Metabolomics and Biomarker Profiling Research; MarkerView Software Simplifies Complex Data Analysis.

SAN ANTONIO -- In conjunction with 53rd Annual American Society for Mass Spectrometry Conference (ASMS), Applied Biosystems Group (NYSE:ABI), an Applera Corporation business, together with its joint venture partner MDS Sciex, a division of MDS Inc. (NYSE:MDZ)(TSX:MDS), today announced the introduction of MarkerView(TM) Software, a new software package for metabolomics and biomarker profiling analysis.

Metabolomics, or the study of metabolic changes in response to perturbations such as a drug or disease, was named one of ten emerging technology areas by MIT Technology Review in May 2005 and was called the "new up and coming -omics" in Journal of the National Cancer Institute in May 2004. Predicted to become the center of drug discovery and development, metabolomics may lead to earlier, faster, and more accurate diagnosis for many diseases.

Protein biomarker discovery is an extension of proteomics and protein expression profiling, which involves the identification of proteins in the body and the determination of their role in physiological and pathophysiological functions. Protein biomarkers can provide valuable information about drug action and therapeutic risk and benefits. As a result, pharmaceutical and biotech companies are focused on the discovery of biomarkers for use in the creation of assays for drugs in development to monitor drug response and risk factors in patient populations.

MarkerView(TM) Software allows researchers performing non-targeted metabolomics and protein biomarker profiling studies to mine complex mass spectrometry data sets for changes in protein, peptide, and metabolic patterns resulting from disease, drug treatment, or drug toxicity. MarkerView(TM) Software greatly simplifies the analysis of large data sets and is expected to become an integral component in the discovery pathway to new biomarkers.

"A significant challenge in metabolomics and protein biomarker profiling is making sense of the enormous volume of data generated and being able to differentiate among groups of complex samples, such as those derived from serum," said Laura Lauman, Division President of the Proteomics and Small Molecule business for Applied Biosystems. "With MarkerView(TM) Software, scientists can draw conclusions about metabolites and protein biomarkers under investigation with confidence, based on a number of sound statistical analyses that are built into the program."

Developed internally with input from pre-eminent metabolomics and biomarker companies and thought leaders, MarkerView(TM) Software is compatible with all Applied Biosystems/MDS SCIEX mass spectrometers, including both MALDI and ESI instruments. The software and select instruments will be on exhibit throughout next week at ASMS, June 5-9, 2005, in San Antonio, Texas.

"Applied Biosystems/MDS SCIEX is focused on bringing new technologies to the forefront to enable these exciting new fields of research," said Andy Boorn, President of MDS Sciex.

MarkerView(TM) Software features include chromatographic peak picking and alignment, whereby the program accurately finds peaks in complex data sets and compensates for minor variations to ensure that identical compounds in different samples are compared properly. In addition, Principle Components Analysis (PCA) permits multivariate analysis to compare data across multiple samples and groups, while t-tests are advantageous for comparisons of predetermined sample classes.

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, develop new pharmaceuticals, and conduct standardized testing. Applied Biosystems is headquartered in Foster City, CA, and reported sales of $1.7 billion during fiscal 2004. The Celera Genomics Group (NYSE:CRA) is engaged principally in the discovery and development of targeted therapeutics for cancer, autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. Celera Genomics is leveraging its proteomic, bioinformatic, and genomic capabilities to identify and validate drug targets, and to discover and develop small molecule therapeutics. It is also seeking to advance therapeutic antibody and selected small molecule drug programs in collaboration with global technology and market leaders. Celera Diagnostics, a 50/50 joint venture between Applied Biosystems and Celera Genomics, is focused on discovery, development, and commercialization of 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/.

About MDS Sciex and MDS Inc.

MDS Sciex is the analytical instrumentation and technology solutions division of MDS Inc. MDS Inc. has more than 9,000 highly skilled people in 25 countries. We provide a diverse range of superior products and services to increase our customers' speed, precision and productivity in the drug development and disease diagnosis processes. We are a global, values-driven health and life sciences company, recognized for our reliability and collaborative relationships as we help create better outcomes in the treatment of disease. Find out more at www.mdsintl.com or by calling 1-888-MDS-7222, 24 hours a day.

Applied Biosystems Forward Looking Statement

Certain statements in this press release are forward-looking and subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties. 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. The 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; (3) claims for patent infringement; 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(C) 2005. Applera Corporation and MDS Inc. All rights reserved. Applera and Celera Diagnostics are trademarks and Applied Biosystems and Celera are registered trademarks of Applera Corporation or its subsidiaries in the U.S. and/or certain other countries.

MarkerView is a trademark of Applied Biosystems/MDS SCIEX, a joint venture between Applera Corporation and MDS Inc.

All other trademarks are the sole property of their respective owners.

Information subject to change without notice.