Optimized synthetic standard genes are now also available for use in insect or mammalian cells

Extension of joint offer as response to high number of customer requests from academia and pharmaceutical industry

Synthetic standard human genes are optimized and produced by GENEART and sold via QIAGENS´s GeneGlobe web portal

Marketing of standardized human genes perfectly complements GENEART’s existing business to tailor gene sequences for individual customer requests

Regensburg, September 04, 2008 – GENEART (Frankfurt, Entry Standard, G6A) today announced the extension of its strategic collaboration with QIAGEN (Nasdaq: QGEN; Frankfurt, Prime Standard: QIA). So far, the complete set of optimized synthetic human genes sold via QIAGEN´s web portal GeneGlobe (“QIAgenes”) was designed for the production in E.coli bacteria only. The new set of genes will now be optimized for the use in insect or mammalian cells. With this offer, customers from academia as well as from pharmaceutical and biotech companies now can order optimized synthetic genes for use in mammalian and insect cells online via GeneGlobe. All QIAgenes are optimized and synthesized by GENEART.

“With the expansion of QIAgenes Expression Kits to include expression constructs that can be transfected into insect or mammalian cells, we are addressing a significant unmet customer need,” says Dr. Ute Boronowsky, Global Product Manager at QIAGEN. “Since the launch of our expression kits for use in E. coli cells in May, we have received a high number of requests for these two additional options. Customer service is a core commitment of QIAGEN and GENEART, and we are proud we have been able to respond to this need so quickly.”

“Low success rates together with limited yields in protein expression have always been a major challenge for scientists”, says Prof. Dr. Ralf Wagner, CEO/CSO of GENEART. “With our GeneOptimizer® and GeneAssembler® technology we are able to overcome this bottleneck for research. Validation studies have shown that genes optimized and synthesized by GENEART yield up to 50 fold more protein than conventional methods using “natural genes”, and achieve high success rates of expression of more than 90%.

With QIAgenes the collaboration partners succeeded in making human genes available in a standardized format for scientists all over the world. Customers choose the gene or protein sequence of their choice via the GeneGlobe web portal and receive the corresponding QIAgene by mail. With this service the marketing of QIAgenes as standardized catalogue product perfectly complements GENEART’s existing business to tailor gene sequences for individual customer requests.

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About QIAGEN

QIAGEN N.V., a Netherlands holding company, is the leading global provider of sample and assay technologies. Sample technologies are used to isolate and process DNA, RNA and proteins from biological samples such as blood or tissue. Assay technologies are used to make such isolated biomolecules visible. QIAGEN has developed and markets more than 500 consumable products as well as automated solutions for such consumables. The company provides its products to molecular diagnostics laboratories, academic researchers, pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, and applied testing customers for purposes such as forensics, animal or food testing and pharmaceutical process control. QIAGEN’s assay technologies include one of the broadest panels of molecular diagnostic tests available worldwide. This panel includes the only FDA-approved test for human papillomavirus (HPV), the primary cause of cervical cancer. QIAGEN employs more than 2,800 people in over 30 locations worldwide. Further information about QIAGEN can be found at www.qiagen.com.