Applied Biosystems Introduces New Linear Ion Trap Mass Spectrometer for Pharmaceutical and Proteomics Researchers at the American Society of Mass Spectrometry Conference.

Business Editors/Health/Medical Writers

American Society of Mass Spectrometry Conference

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

Expected to Enhance Functionality and Sensitivity of

Drug and Protein Discovery Research

Applied Biosystems (NYSE:ABI), an Applera Corporation business, together with its partner MDS SCIEX, today announced its latest addition to the Linear Ion Trap (LIT) family, combining high sensitivity triple quadrupole technology with the high-performance features of an ion trap for both qualitative and quantitative capabilities for protein and small molecule research. The 4000 Q TRAP(TM) LC/MS/MS system provides MS/MS capabilities that are expected to offer improved workflows, deliver enhanced data quality, and be up to 10 times more sensitive than ion trap technologies currently available. 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 4000 Q TRAP(TM) system is intended for researchers conducting pharmaceutical metabolic profiling, protein characterization, and other qualitative and quantitative applications in life science research. Researchers who are involved in drug discovery and development, as well as those in proteomics depend on advanced tools to accurately measure the low levels of drugs and proteins present in biological samples," said Michael W. Hunkapiller, Ph.D., President of Applied Biosystems. "This system should allow researchers to combine experiments that previously required two separate mass spectrometry technology platforms or were previously too difficult to automate and integrate. Consequently, researchers should be able cost-effectively obtain richer data with fewer runs."

The 4000 Q TRAP(TM) system offers improved ion trap sensitivity and increased triple quadrupole functionality to researchers for a wide range of applications. For proteomics researchers, the 4000 Q TRAP(TM) system can help with the rapid identification and measurement of post-translational modifications (PTM) at low levels from complex biological samples in a single LC/MS/MS run. For drug discovery and development researchers, the 4000 Q TRAP(TM) system is expected to enable rapid identification, confirmation, and quantitation of more metabolites at extremely low levels in a single experiment. The system is also expected to deliver the most sensitive level of quantitative measurement of known compounds in highly complex preclinical and clinical trials samples compared to existing technologies. The 4000 Q TRAP(TM) system is a single-platform solution designed for the pharmaceutical drug development process. The system is expected to allow researchers to standardize the systems and software required for the discovery process of new drug leads and shorten the extensive development process required to confirm the safety and efficacy of a drug prior to approval.

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 webcasted.

The 4000 Q TRAP(TM) system will be on display at ASMS June 8-12, 2003, at booth #014 and demonstrations will be given to customers and press upon request. Applied Biosystems and its collaborators will present data on mass spectrometry research in more than 100 scientific oral and poster presentations.

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.

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, CA, and reported sales of $1.6 billion during fiscal 2002. The Celera Genomics Group (NYSE:CRA), located in Rockville, MD, and South San Francisco, CA, 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.

About MDS Sciex and MDS Inc.

MDS Sciex is the analytical instrumentation and technology solutions division of MDS Inc. (NYSE:MDZ; TSX:MDS) MDS Inc. is an international health and life sciences company with revenues of $1.8B in 2002. Its products and services include: laboratory testing, imaging agents for nuclear medicine testing, sterilization systems for medical and consumer products, research and clinical development services for planning and delivery of cancer treatment, analytical instruments to assist in the development of new drugs, and medical/surgical supplies. MDS employs more than 11,000 highly skilled people at its global operations on four continents. Detailed information about the company is available at the MDS Web site at www.mdsintl.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," "expect," "should" and "potential" 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) the ability to combine ion trap and triple quadrupole functionality on the same platform; and (4) other factors that might be described from time to time in Applera Corporation's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

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

4000 Q TRAP is a trademark of Applied Biosystems/MDS SCIEX, which is a joint venture between Applera Corporation and MDS Inc.

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