CHI Next Generation Sequencing Meetings

CAMBRIDGE, Mass.–Helicos BioSciences Corporation (NASDAQ: HLCS) provided updates on recent scientific findings and progress on Helicos’s technology initiatives.

Speaking at the Personal Genomes conference in Cold Spring Harbor, NY, and the CHI Next Generation Sequencing conference in Providence, RI, Patrice Milos, Ph.D. Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer provided an overview of recent technological and scientific initiatives underway at Helicos.

Milos described projects the company undertook in collaboration with world-renowned institutions such as the RIKEN institute in Japan and the Leiden University Medical Center in the Netherlands. Both projects leveraged Helicos’s True Single Molecule Sequencing (tSMS)™ approach to obtain results previously difficult or impossible to achieve with amplification-based sequencing technologies.

The presentations also provided an update of Helicos’s research and development technology initiatives – including a consumables improvement path designed to provide multi-fold improvements to the Helicos™ Genetic Analysis System’s throughput with no changes to the instrument hardware.

Further, Milos described a series of revolutionary single-molecule-only methods under development, which are designed to enable novel forms of genetic analysis including:

library-free paired-reads with insert sizes in the range of 1 kilobase or greater

methods for the analysis of picogram amounts of DNA without amplification

and the direct sequencing of RNA, without the generation of cDNA intermediates.

These methods stem from the Helicos System’s unique ability to detect and sequence single molecules of DNA and RNA directly, freeing researchers from the constraints of amplification, ligation and other complex sample preparation techniques.

About Helicos BioSciences

Helicos BioSciences is a life science company focused on innovative genetic analysis technologies for the research, drug discovery, and diagnostic markets. Helicos’ proprietary True Single Molecule Sequencing (tSMS)(TM) technology allows direct measurement of billions of strands of DNA, enabling scientists to perform experiments and ask questions never before possible. Helicos is a recipient of the $1,000 genome grant and is committed to providing scientists the tools to unlock the era of genomic medicine. The company’s corporate headquarters are located at One Kendall Square, Building 700, Cambridge, MA 02139, and its telephone number is (617) 264-1800. For more information, please visit www.helicosbio.com.

Certain statements made in this press release that are not based on historical information are forward-looking statements which are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. This press release contains express or implied forward-looking statements relating to, among other things, the anticipated commercial and scientific benefits of the recent technological and scientific initiatives underway at Helicos discussed in this press release, and management’s plans, objectives and strategies. These statements are neither promises nor guarantees, but are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond Helicos’s control, which could cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated in these forward-looking statements. In particular, the risks and uncertainties include, among other things, our ability to successfully complete and/or scale the manufacturing and commercialization process for the Helicos Genetic Analysis System; our history of operating losses and ability to achieve profitability; our ability to sustain and scale our manufacturing capabilities; the research and development spending levels of academic, clinical and governmental research institutions and pharmaceutical, biotechnology and agriculture companies who may purchase our Helicos Genetic Analysis System; our reliance on third-party suppliers; competition; changing technology and customer requirements; our ability to operate in an emerging market; market acceptance of our technology; the length of our sales and implementation cycles; our dependence on large contracts for the sale and implementation of our Helicos Genetic Analysis System; failure of our technology and products; our ability to maintain customer relationships and contracts; ethical, legal and social concerns surrounding the use of genetic information; our ability to retain our personnel and hire additional skilled personnel; our ability to manage our growth while operating with limited resources; our ability to control our operating expenses; general economic and business conditions; our ability to obtain capital when desired on favorable terms; and the volatility of the market price of our common stock. Existing and prospective investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. Helicos undertakes no obligation to update or revise the information contained in this press release, whether as a result of new information, future events or circumstances or otherwise. For additional disclosure regarding these and other risks faced by Helicos, see the disclosure contained in Helicos’ public filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.