Applied Biosystems Introduces New 4700 Proteomics Discovery System at the American Society of Mass Spectrometry Conference.

Business Editors/Health/Medical Writers/High-Tech Writers

FOSTER CITY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 5, 2003

Applied Biosystems (NYSE:ABI)

New 4700 Proteomics Discovery System Designed to Significantly

Improve the Functionality of the Applied Biosystems 4700 Proteomics

Analyzer with TOF/TOF(TM) Optics Through Enhanced Automation Analysis

of Highly Complex Protein Samples

Applied Biosystems (NYSE:ABI), an Applera Corporation business, today announced the introduction of the Applied Biosystems 4700 Proteomics Discovery System. This system is designed to enable a new category of automation for high-confidence protein identification and easy determination of protein expression. The system will be introduced at the 51st Annual American Society of Mass Spectrometry Conference in Montreal, Canada, June 8-12, 2003. The conference is the world's largest gathering of scientists who use mass spectrometry in life science and basic research.

The 4700 Proteomics Discovery System directly links experimentally identified proteins to relevant biological information and annotative tools of the Celera Discovery System(SM) (CDS) online platform, including direct links to biological/molecular function, SNP sites, alternate splice forms and comprehensive genetic information. CDS is a web-based discovery platform that provides scientists with access to a comprehensive source of integrated, curated and validated biological data, including annotated human and mouse genomes. Leveraging Applied Biosystems TOF/TOF(TM) optics technology, the new 4700 Proteomics Discovery System is expected to enhance the ability of researchers to characterize proteins from a wide variety of proteomics workflows, including gel-based and multidimensional liquid chromatography (MDLC) experiments as well as the powerful LC-MALDI approach.

"The integration of mass spectrometry information with annotated biological and genetic content and the ability to generate more definitive protein identifications from highly complex samples should enable a greater understanding of protein families and pathways involved in metabolic and disease activities," said Michael W. Hunkapiller, Ph.D., President of Applied Biosystems. "We believe the 4700 Proteomics Discovery System will create more efficient workflows and streamline the process of protein identification, expression analysis, and characterization."

The 4700 Proteomics Discovery System is expected to enable a new class of powerful experiments called Results Dependent Analysis (RDA) using the new RDA(TM) software, where the mass spectrometry-based protein identification results drive the further acquisition of data from complex samples for additional discovery and characterization of low abundance proteins. By acquiring data from a sample using the 4700 system, and automatically searching the results against available protein databases, the system not only assigns a protein identification, but also executes automatic reanalysis of the sample to derive definitive identification, and analyzes additional proteins in the same sample to obtain more comprehensive information. For example, researchers using ICAT(R) reagents for protein expression studies, can now use the 4700 system to initially quantify the proteins present in a sample and then automatically resubmit only those proteins that are over- or under-expressed for additional MS/MS analysis and protein identification. In addition, the 4700 system is the first commercially available system to fully support LC-MALDI experiments, which are a part of new, advanced proteomic workflows pioneered at the Applied Biosystems Proteomics Research Center in Framingham, Mass.

ASMS and Applied Biosystems Related Events

Applied Biosystems/MDS SCIEX will host its annual user's meeting on Sunday, June 8, 2003, from 9:00 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. EDT in room 517C-D at the Palais des Congres (Montreal Convention Center). Leaders from industry, as well as scientists from Applied Biosystems, will discuss the application of mass spectrometry to the study of proteomics, drug discovery, and drug development. Outside speakers include Ruedi Aebersold, Ph.D., of the Institute for Systems Biology and Carmen Fernandez-Metzler of Merck & Co., Inc. To register for the user's meeting, please visit http://info.appliedbiosystems.com/asms. This meeting will not be webcast.

Applied Biosystems will also host and webcast a briefing for financial analysts and media on Monday, June 9, 2003, from 12:00 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. EDT in the Vieux Montreal Room at the InterContinental Hotel located directly across the street from the Palais des Congres at 360 Rue Saint-Antoine Ouest. Presentations from Applied Biosystems product management will cover the company's broad range of products for proteomics and small molecule analysis, and company-related highlights at this year's ASMS meeting. Additionally, Kelvin Lee, Ph.D., of Cornell University and Gerard Hopfgartner, Ph.D., of the University of Geneva will discuss the use of new mass spectrometry technology in current biological and drug discovery research.

Interested parties who wish to view the webcast of this briefing should visit http://ir.appliedbiosystems.com/ and go to the presentations page within the Investor Relations web site. The meeting will also be archived on this page. To listen to the meeting by telephone, dial 706/634-4992 (code "Applera") between 1:15 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. EDT. An audio replay of the meeting will be available two hours after completion of the briefing until Sunday, June 22, 2003. Interested parties should call 706/645-9291 and enter conference ID 903572.

Applied Biosystems and its collaborators will also present data on mass spectrometry research in more than 100 scientific oral and poster presentations.

About Applera Corporation and Applied Biosystems

Applera Corporation comprises two operating groups. The Applied Biosystems Group develops and markets instrument-based systems, reagents, software, and contract services to the life science industry and research community. 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, Calif., and reported sales of $1.6 billion during fiscal 2002. The Celera Genomics Group (NYSE:CRA), located in Rockville, Md., and South San Francisco, Calif., is engaged principally in integrating advanced technologies to discover and develop new therapeutics. Celera intends to leverage its proteomic, bioinformatic, and genomic capabilities to identify and validate drug targets, and to discover and develop new therapeutics. Its Celera Discovery System(SM) online platform, marketed exclusively through the Applied Biosystems Knowledge Business, is an integrated source of information based on the human genome and other biological and medical sources. Celera Diagnostics, a 50/50 joint venture between Applied Biosystems and Celera Genomics, is focused on discovery, development, and commercialization of novel 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.

Certain statements in this press release are forward-looking. These may be identified by the use of forward-looking words or phrases such as "believe" 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 development of new products; (2) sales dependent on customers' capital spending policies and government-sponsored research; (3) claims for patent infringement; (4) uncertainty of successful integration of the Celera Discovery System(SM) online platform with the Applied Biosystems 4700 Proteomics Analyzer; 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.

Applied Biosystems is a registered trademark and Applera, Celera, Celera Diagnostics, Celera Discovery System, Celera Genomics, and TOF/TOF are trademarks of Applera Corporation and/or its subsidiaries in the U.S. and certain other countries.

ICAT is a registered trademark of the University of Washington exclusively licensed to the Applied Biosystems Group of Applera Corporation.

For Research Use Only. Not for use in diagnostic procedures.