Applied Biosystems Introduces New Mass Spectrometry-Based Tissue Imaging Technology for Drug Metabolism Studies at the American Society of Mass Spectrometry Conference.

Business Editors/Health/Medical Writers

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52nd Annual American Society for Mass Spectrometry Conference

FOSTER CITY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 19, 2004

Applied Biosystems (NYSE:ABI), an Applera Corporation business, together with its partner MDS SCIEX, today announced a novel tissue imaging technology for the QSTAR(R) XL Hybrid LC/MS/MS System that allows researchers to study the metabolism and distribution of drugs throughout tissue via a new MALDI imaging software and an extremely fast high-repetition laser. The system is a result of a research and development collaboration formed in February 2002, between Applied Biosystems, Richard M. Caprioli, Ph.D., and Vanderbilt University to develop technologies and applications for proteomics and small molecule analysis using direct imaging techniques for the analysis of tissue. The system will be on exhibit at the 52nd Annual American Society for Mass Spectrometry Conference in Nashville, TN, May 23-27, 2004. Commercial shipments will begin fall 2004.

"With the ability to examine drug metabolism and drug distribution in tissue, researchers should now be able look at how and where a given drug metabolizes to measure if the drug is effectively reaching its intended target," said Michael W. Hunkapiller, Ph.D., President of Applied Biosystems.

"This research method could eventually lead to the recommendation of more appropriately prescribed treatment regimens, the ability to determine a drug's efficacy, as well as lead to the avoidance of unnecessary side effects from overly aggressive treatment regimens," said Dr. Caprioli, Professor and a Stanley Cohen Chair of Biochemistry, and Director of the Mass Spectrometry and Proteomics Research Center of the Vanderbilt School of Medicine, and inventor of the tissue imaging approach.

For the first time, the new system generates precise 2-dimensional and 3-dimensional images of low molecular weight drug compounds in tissue samples, and displays the spatial distribution of drugs, which can help determine whether a drug is reaching its intended target site or accumulating in the tissue. The new high-repetition laser fires at speeds up to 30 times faster than existing MALDI QTOF-based mass spectrometry lasers. The increased laser speed accelerates the data collection and interpretation process.

ASMS and Applied Biosystems Related Events

Applied Biosystems/MDS SCIEX will host its annual user's meeting on Sunday, May 23, 2004, from 9:00 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. EDT in Presidential Ballroom at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel in Nashville, TN. Leaders from industry, as well as scientists from Applied Biosystems, will discuss strategies for quantitating target proteins, advances in metabolite quantitation and identification, complementary techniques for post-translational modification (PTM) analysis, and molecular imaging with MALDI MS. Outside speakers include Richard Caprioli, Ph.D, of Vanderbilt University. To register for user's meeting, please visit http://info.appliedbiosystems.com/asms2004. This meeting will not be webcasted.

The QSTAR(R) XL Hybrid LC/MS/MS System will be on display at ASMS May 23-27, 2004, at the Applied Biosystems booth, 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 80 scientific oral and poster presentations.

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 2003. 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(TM) online platform, marketed exclusively by Applied Biosystems, 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," "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) technology performance, 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 and QSTAR are registered trademarks and AB (Design), Applera, Celera, Celera Diagnostics, Celera Discovery System, and Celera Genomics are trademarks of Applera Corporation or its subsidiaries in the U.S. and/or certain other countries.

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