ENGINEERING

FOSTER CITY, CA -- Applied Biosystems Group (NYSE:ABI), an Applera Corporation business, today announced the commercial launch of the Applied Biosystems(R) 4700 Proteomics Analyzer, a powerful system expected to provide researchers with the higher sample throughput and improved data quality and sensitivity important to better understanding of proteins and their role in disease. Applied Biosystems also announced it has received Notices of Allowance from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for two key patents relating to use of its mass spectrometry products for proteomics applications. The patents cover technology for fast, accurate measurement optics and for rapid sample handling and loading -- two important productivity tools for drug discovery researchers. New Level of Protein Research Productivity Offered The 4700 Proteomics Analyzer is the first commercial instrument to employ the new, high-speed Matrix Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization (MALDI) source and Applied Biosystems TOF/TOF(TM) Optics, creating advanced Tandem Time of Flight mass spectrometry technology. This technology combination permits a new level of productivity in high-resolution proteome analysis through fast, accurate identification and characterization of protein samples at throughput rates of as much as 1000 samples per hour -- up to ten times faster than current technology. "Increased productivity is critical for proteomics researchers due to the magnitude and complexity of the many proteins present in nature," said Michael W. Hunkapiller, Ph.D., President of Applied Biosystems. "A new generation of fast, highly automated protein analysis systems is needed to accelerate protein research workflow. The 4700 Proteomics Analyzer provides researchers with the substantial throughput and information analysis capability required to rapidly identify, characterize, and measure the expression of large numbers of proteins, thus reducing a significant productivity barrier. It is an important expansion of the Applied Biosystems family of advanced proteomics systems. Using these new productivity tools, researchers can now more readily obtain information on the role of proteins in disease pathways -- a significant step towards improved development of therapeutics." The 4700 Proteomics Analyzer is expected to enable new high-throughput proteomics research and workflow approaches such as those based on the Isotope Coded Affinity Tag technology. This technology was developed at the University of Washington and is exclusively licensed to Applied Biosystems for worldwide commercialization. The ICAT(TM) reagent technology is a powerful new mass spectrometry-based sample preparation method for separating and analyzing complex samples to identify component proteins and determine relative expression levels. Use of ICAT reagents can enable an accurate and direct comparison of the expression level of a wide number of proteins from two samples, such as normal and diseased tissue. This information could lead to discovery of new therapeutic targets or diagnostic markers. ICAT reagents also address some of the limitations of 2-D gels by enabling analysis of membrane and low abundance proteins. Productivity Contributions to Early Access Commercial and Academic Customers The 4700 Proteomics Analyzer has been under evaluation at customer sites over the last year as part of the Applied Biosystems early access partnership program. Among these partners are Celera Genomics, an Applera Corporation business focusing on therapeutic discovery, Oxford GlycoSciences (Oxford, England), the University of California, San Francisco and the University of Geneva (Switzerland). In addition, Applied Biosystems has recently taken orders for the system from several undisclosed major pharmaceutical companies and research institutions in the U.S., Europe and Japan. "The 4700 Proteomics Analyzer coupled with Celera's accurate genomic data are important components of our unique, industrial scale proteomics facility," said Scott D. Patterson, Ph.D, Vice President, Proteomics, Celera Genomics. "Our new, proprietary sample preparation and purification process, tied directly to our "one of a kind" informatics system, along with the 4700 Proteomics Analyzer and other mass spectrometry systems from Applied Biosystems, allows us to proceed with our proteomics and validated target discovery program." "Our early access to the 4700 Proteomics Analyzer, in conjunction with ICAT reagents, is enabling OGS to create next-generation protein discovery platforms," said Reid Townsend, M.D., Ph.D., Director of Proteomics Research, Oxford GlycoSciences. "When combined with our internal programs and capabilities, these two significant technologies, we believe, could significantly accelerate the identification of novel therapeutics and diagnostics." "Proteins carry out the basic functions of cells, and there are at least 250 cell types in human beings. The study of proteins tells us what cellular components are functioning properly, and which ones are dysfunctional -- possibly causing disease," said A.L. Burlingame, Ph.D., Professor of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Director, Mass Spectrometry Facility, University of California-San Francisco. "With the recent completion of the human and other genomes, identification and characterization of gene products on a genome-wide scale is now possible. "This is, however, an enormous task, and it requires new methods to generate comprehensive information on the multitude of proteins from available biological samples," Dr. Burlingame added. "Mass spectrometry has become an essential tool for deciphering the human proteome. The new 4700 Proteomics Analyzer with TOF/TOF(TM) Optics has demonstrated the speed, throughput capacity and sensitivity required to efficiently analyze such samples and provide valuable identifications, including for previously unknown protein sequences." Two Significant Proteomics Patents Announced The 4700 Proteomics Analyzer incorporates technology covered in two important proteomics patents. The first patent, expected to issue this month, provides a technological step forward in the operation and design of tandem time-of-flight (TOF/TOF) mass spectrometers. The patent covers the novel design and operation of the Applied Biosystems 4700 Proteomics Analyzer TOF/TOF(TM) ion optic system, which provides fast, accurate measurement of protein and peptide spectra with both high resolution and sensitivity. The second patent, U.S. Patent No. RE37485, issued in December 2001, provides novel sample handling and loading technology used with the 4700 Proteomics Analyzer that advances the field of high throughout sample analysis. This technology enables the repeated automatic loading of multiple MALDI sample plates into a mass spectrometer ion source without disrupting vacuum conditions. Applied Biosystems Proteomics Research Center The 4700 Proteomics Analyzer was developed in conjunction with the Applied Biosystems Proteomics Research Center, Framingham, Mass., and is part of a broad family of Applied Biosystems proteomics products used by researchers worldwide for complex biological research and drug development applications. The PRC is leveraging Applied Biosystems existing proteomics expertise and internal research capabilities while facilitating collaboration with complementary research and technology partners. The goal is to achieve breakthroughs in complete systems solutions and production of high quality information, by means of significant improvements in throughput, automation, sensitivity and cost efficiency. For more information visit www.appliedbiosystems.com