Applied Biosystems Announces Commercial Availability of New TaqMan(R) ''microRNA'' Assays; Novel Assays Enable the Highly Sensitive Detection and Quantification of Recently Discovered Regulatory Molecules.

FOSTER CITY, Calif. -- Applied Biosystems (NYSE:ABI), an Applera Corporation Business, today announced the commercial release of its TaqMan(R) microRNA Assays for the detection and quantitation of mature human microRNA (miRNA) expression levels, a promising new area of genomic research.

MicroRNAs are a recently discovered class of small RNA molecules known to play a powerful regulatory role in cell differentiation, developmental biology, and diseases such as cancer.

"The commercial availability of our TaqMan(R) microRNA Assays has been much anticipated in the industry. These novel assays eliminate major challenges in detecting and quantifying miRNAs and are expected to stimulate research in areas such as cancer, stem cell research, and developmental biology," said Catherine M. Burzik, President of Applied Biosystems.

Several early access partners presented research results using a preliminary version of the assays. In May 2005, Dartmouth University presented findings at the European Society of Human Genetics Annual Meeting demonstrating the ability of TaqMan(R) miRNA Assays to reveal miRNA expression changes in an aggressive form of brain cancer.

"We were extremely pleased to be an early access customer for these assays, which have generated promising results in our studies of the role of miRNAs in cancer," said Victor Ambros, Ph.D., Professor of Genetics at Dartmouth University. "We look forward to seeing how other researchers can further our understanding of the complex role of these important regulatory molecules as these assays become generally available."

In addition, William Strauss, Ph.D., Assistant Research Professor at the University of Colorado's Department of Molecular, Chemical and Developmental Biology, recently presented related research at the International Society for Stem Cell Research Annual Meeting. Study results showed TaqMan(R) miRNA Assays can be used to differentiate expression levels of miRNA molecules during embryonic stem cell differentiation. These findings could help stem cell researchers identify optimal stem cell lines for research and therapeutic use.

MicroRNAs represent a new layer of post-transcriptional gene regulation that is not yet fully characterized. Based on the industry-standard TaqMan(R) chemistry, Applied Biosystems' proprietary stem-loop reverse transcriptase assay technology, and real-time PCR, the assays provide highly sensitive and reproducible data through a simple two-step process.

Unlike other conventional methods such as hybridization arrays, the TaqMan(R) miRNA assays allow researchers to discriminate between mature miRNA and its precursor form. The assays require very small starting samples (1-10 nanograms of RNA or equivalent) allowing researchers to conserve valuable samples and simplify the analytical process.

The TaqMan(R) miRNA Assays are pre-designed and validated probe and primer sets with a flexible format. They accommodate both large initial screening panels (many miRNAs in parallel) and in-depth further screening to determine differential expression levels of specific miRNAs. The current product offering includes a set of 157 human assays with three non-vertebrate negative controls and an individually available miR-16 assay. Applied Biosystems plans to expand the product offering to include additional species and individual assays.

For more information about the TaqMan(R) micro RNA Assays, please visit: http://mirna.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, develop new pharmaceuticals, and conduct standardized testing. Applied Biosystems is headquartered in Foster City, CA, and reported sales of nearly $1.8 billion during fiscal 2005. 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/.

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" 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; (3) Applied Biosystems' dependence on the operation of computer hardware, software, and Internet applications and related technology; (4) unproven use of genomics information to develop or commercialize products; and (5) 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.

TaqMan Assays: The PCR process and 5' nuclease processes are covered by patents owned by Roche Molecular Systems Inc. and F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd.

(C)Copyright 2005. 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.