Applied Biosystems Introduces the 7900HT Fast Real-Time PCR System.

FOSTER CITY, Calif. -- Results Produced Up to Four Times Faster than with Standard Real-Time PCR Systems

Applied Biosystems (NYSE:ABI), an Applera Corporation business, today announced the introduction of the Applied Biosystems 7900HT Fast Real-Time PCR System, the first fast real-time PCR system offered in a traditional 96-well format. The system reduces real-time PCR thermal cycling times up to four fold when compared to standard real-time PCR systems, thereby significantly reducing the time to results and increasing productivity for researchers utilizing serial workflows. The 7900HT Fast Real-Time PCR System is the latest enhancement to the Applied Biosystems' premier real-time PCR system, the ABI PRISM(R) 7900HT Sequence Detection System. The system will be on exhibit at the upcoming American Society of Human Genetics Annual Meeting in Toronto, Canada, October 26-30, 2004.

The 7900HT Fast Real-Time PCR System enables real-time PCR results in approximately 35 minutes, compared to approximately two hours with existing 96-well format real-time PCR systems. This complete system includes a user-interchangeable Fast PCR cycling block, TaqMan(R) Fast Universal PCR Master Mix, and Optical 96-Well Fast Thermal Cycling Plates. An upgrade to the 7900HT Fast Real-Time PCR System is available for all existing ABI PRISM(R) 7900HT Sequence Detection System users.

"While other systems are available to perform fast thermal cycling, these systems typically employ non-standard consumable formats, such as glass capillaries or non-standard tube designs that make it difficult for users to integrate the process into existing lab workflows," said Kevin Cannon, Ph.D., Senior Director of Gene Expression Platforms for Applied Biosystems. "The 7900HT Fast Real-Time PCR System provides researchers the convenience of running fast PCR in a standard 96-well format, as well as the ability to interchange thermal cycling blocks of different formats, such as a 384-well block, the TaqMan(R) Low Density Array block and a conventional 96-well block. This built-in flexibility enables the system to meet the changing application and throughput needs of customers."

"The 7900HT Fast Real-Time PCR System, combined with our more than 480,000 pre-designed and ready-to-use TaqMan(R) Gene Expression Assays, is part of a complete solution for quantitative gene expression studies that offers a new degree of efficiency, sensitivity, and productivity," said Catherine M. Burzik, President of Applied Biosystems.

Applied Biosystems offers a comprehensive portfolio of products and services for gene expression studies, including integrated solutions that comprise instruments, assays, reagents, rich genomic content, and software. For more information, please visit http://www.appliedbiosystems.com/.

Real-time quantitative PCR, a more recent development of traditional PCR, has many applications including the precise measurement of changes in gene expression and post-PCR detection of SNPs. The process is also ideal when quantitating or confirming the presence or absence of a pathogen, or other specific target sequences. Applied Biosystems was a pioneer in the development of real-time PCR systems and has issued and pending patents in this area.

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, Calif., 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/.

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" 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) sales dependent on customers' capital spending policies and government-sponsored research, and (2) 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 diagnostics procedures.

Copyright(C) 2004. Applera Corporation. All rights reserved. Applied Biosystems and ABI PRISM are registered trademarks and Applera, Celera, Celera Diagnostics, 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.