Applied Biosystems to Introduce New Protein Expression Analysis Technology At 5th Biannual Siena Proteomics Meeting.

Business Editors & Health/Medical Writers

5th Biannual Siena Meeting

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FOSTER CITY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 29, 2002

Applied Biosystems (NYSE:ABI), an Applera Corporation business, today introduced the Cleavable ICAT(TM) Reagent Technology for protein expression analysis, designed to offer researchers a powerful new mass spectrometry-based method for preparing and analyzing complex samples. These reagents are expected to be important in identifying and determining the expression levels of proteins in complex biological samples. An oral presentation on the Cleavable ICAT(TM) Reagent Technology will be given at the 5th Biannual Siena Meeting "From Genome to Proteome: Functional Proteomics" being held September 2-5, 2002 in Siena, Italy. This biannual meeting is the key gathering of the world's leading proteomic scientists.

The Cleavable ICAT(TM) reagents are expected to enable a new level of identification and quantification for important membrane and low abundance proteins that are difficult to analyze with traditional 2D gel-based approaches. When used with the API QSTAR(TM) Pulsar Hybrid LC/MS/MS System or the Applied Biosystems 4700 Proteomics Analyzer, Cleavable ICAT(TM) Reagents should significantly increase the number of proteins detected and improve quantification in complex sample analysis.

The reliability and scope of protein identification has been dramatically improved by employing a new cleavable linker chemistry that enables improved correlation of MS/MS information with protein databases. The isotope coding strategy used to determine the relative expression levels of proteins has been modified to enable differential quantification in LC-MALDI workflows with the Applied Biosystems 4700 Proteomics Analyzer in addition to the LC-ESI workflows with the QSTAR system.

"ICAT(TM) reagent technology is an important platform which we are continuously expanding to provide tools for solving important biological problems," said Stephen D. Martin, Ph.D., Director of the Applied Biosystems Proteomics Research Center in Framingham, MA. "We expect our new Cleavable ICAT(TM) reagents to be useful in studying proteins important in biological system function."

Early Customer Collaborations Underway

The Cleavable ICAT(TM) Reagent Technology has been under evaluation at customer sites over the past several months. Included among these partners are Stephen R. Pennington, Ph.D., founder of a proteomics facility at the University of Liverpool and Ruedi Aebersold, Ph.D., professor and founding member of the Institute for Systems Biology, Seattle, WA.

"We have been using the Cleavable ICAT(TM) Reagent Technology to measure the expression of proteins in liver samples for the representation of drug metabolizing proteins such as cytochrom P450's. The results have been very exciting," Dr. Pennington said. "In a single MS run we have identified and quantitated over 200 proteins. We anticipate that this technology will become part of an essential proteomics strategy that is complementary to 2D gels and other protein expression profiling methods."

"The new Cleavable ICAT reagents represent an important advancement in proteomic technology. The new isotope coding chemistry employed greatly simplifies data processing improving both data quality and throughput," Dr. Aebersold said. "The enhanced performance of these second generation reagents reinforce our view that a suite of stable isotope labeling chemistries combined with specialized mass spectrometers like the QSTAR system and the 4700 proteomics analyzer constitute a powerful platform to systematically and quantitatively study the diverse properties of proteomes."

Ruedi Aebersold, Ph.D. of the Institute for Systems Biology, and Michael Gelb, Ph.D. of the University of Washington developed the proprietary isotope coded affinity tag technology while Dr. Aebersold was a professor at the University of Washington. In November 2000, Applied Biosystems obtained a worldwide license from the University of Washington to manufacture and commercialize ICAT(TM) reagents.

Scientific Presentations

Applied Biosystems and its collaborators will present results of various proteomics applications research in scientific presentations at the 5th Biannual Siena Meeting. Among the presentations will be:

Monday, September 2, 2002

10:20-10:40 a.m.

Proteome Analysis by Multi-Dimensional Liquid Chromatography Gel-Electrophoresis and the Molecular Scanner

T. Nadler, Y. Huang, B. Wagenfeld, K. Parker, R. Lotti, G. J. Vella, P.-A. Binz, M. Muller, R. Gras, D. F.Hochstrasser, W. Bienvenut, J.-C. Sanchez, G. Corthals, R. D. Appel (Framingham, MA, USA; Geneva, Switzerland)

5:05-5:20 p.m.

Unique Scanning Capabilities of New Hybrid Linear Ion Trap Mass Spectrometer Used for High Sensitivity Proteomic Applications

P. Ilisiu (Concord, Ontario Canada)

Tuesday, September 3, 2002

10:25-10:45 a.m.

Protein Differential Expression Analyses in Yeast Using Acid Cleavable ICAT Technology on Multiple Mass Spectrometric Platforms

D. Patterson, S. Hattan, P. Juhasz, J. Marchese, B. Williamson, A. Graber, N. Khainovski, A. Romeo, F. He, S. Martin (Framingham, Worcester, MA, USA)

11:45-12:25 p.m.

Discovery of Networks of Interacting Proteins at the Nuclear Pore Complex Using Automated MALDI-TOF/TOF MS

L. Huang, R.J. Chalkley, K. Hansen, N.P. Allen, M. Rexach, A.L. Burlingame (San Francisco, CA, USA)

2:50-3:10 p.m.

Selecting Targets for Therapeutic Validation Through Differential Protein Expression Using Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry

S.D. Patterson, T.E. Ryan, M.D. Bond, B.M. Domon, I.N. McCaffery (Rockville, MD, USA)

Wednesday, September 4, 2002

Qualitative and Quantitative Proteome Analysis of Nuclei Proteins in Human Fibroblasts Using Multi-Dimensional Separation Interfaced to Sequencing MALDI and ESI Mass Spectrometry 

J. Malmstrom, K. Larsen, L. Malmstrom, E. Tufvesson, K. Parker, J. Marchese, B. Williamson, S. Hatten, D. Patterson, S. Martin, P. Juhasz, G. Westergren-Thorsson, G. Marko-Varga (Lund, Sweden; Framingham, MA, USA)

Pathway Mapping and Functional Proteomics

M. Palmer (Bedford, MA, USA)

High Throughput High Sensitivity Protein Identification via the O-MALDI QSTAR XL

C.M. Lock, I. Chervetsova, K. Ashman, P. Ilisiu, P. Metalnikov (Concord, Toronto, Ontario, Canada)

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 leading to the development of new pharmaceuticals, and to 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 genomics and proteomics technology platforms to identify drug targets and diagnostic marker candidates, and to discover novel therapeutics. Its Celera Discovery System(TM) online platform, marketed exclusively through the Knowledge Business of 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 diagnostics tests. Information about Applera Corporation, including reports and other information filed by the company with the Securities and Exchange Commission, is available on the World Wide Web at http://www.applera.com/ or by telephoning 800/762-6923. Information about Applied Biosystems is available on the World Wide Web 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. The risks and uncertainties that may affect the operations, performance, development, and results of Applied Biosystems' businesses include but are not limited to (1) rapidly changing technology and dependence on development of new products; (2) future growth strategy; and 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.

Note to Editors: Applied Biosystems and QSTAR are registered trademarks 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. ICAT is a trademark of the University of Washington in the US and certain other countries, licensed to the Applied Biosystems Group of Applera Corporation.