Demonstrate ChIP Seq Using Minute Sample Amounts

CAMBRIDGE, Mass.–Helicos BioSciences Corporation (NASDAQ: HLCS) today announced the publication of a landmark study by Dr. Bradley Bernstein of the Massachusetts General Hospital describing the use of Helicos’ single molecule sequencing technology for the performance of genome-wide, epigenomic experiments using minute amounts of nucleic acid. The paper entitled “Chromatin Profiling by Directly Sequencing Small Quantities of Immunoprecipitated DNA” appeared in the online version of Nature Methods yesterday.

Scientists at Helicos collaborated with a team led by Dr. Bradley Bernstein, one of the foremost experts in the field of epigenomics, to demonstrate the first direct sequencing of chromatin immunoprecipitated (ChIP-Seq) nucleic acid from a small amount of starting material. This work represents an important broadening of the application of ChIP-Seq to the fields of cancer progression and developmental biology, areas of research in which sample amounts are often limiting. The new approach obviates the need for complex sample preparation and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification steps that can lead to biased or incomplete results, and provides the opportunity to investigate the epigenomes of new cell types that were previously inaccessible.

“Understanding genome regulation has been hampered by the need to use millions of cells for protein-DNA interaction experiments and the requirement to amplify the DNA. Our collaboration using Helicos’ single-molecule sequencing technology demonstrates the ability to minimize the use of sample and to analyze the DNA directly,” stated Dr. Patrice Milos, CSO at Helicos. “By reducing the number of cells required for analysis, it is expected that Helicos’ technology will help to provide a significantly higher resolution of genome regulation than previously possible.”

This study affirms the simplicity of the methods required for single molecule sequencing and demonstrates the enabling potential of the method for characterizing the small cell numbers required for, amongst other things, studies of early stem cell differentiation.

“We have benefited tremendously from our collaborative work with Dr. Bernstein and his colleagues,” described Ron Lowy, CEO at Helicos. “They approached Helicos because they were convinced that single molecule sequencing was the only way to elucidate regulatory differences between important cell types such as embryonic stem cells and induced pluripotent stem cells. This first joint manuscript demonstrates that this is indeed the case. We believe that this marks the beginning of more breakthrough studies to come.”

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 two $1,000 genome grants and 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 Company’s expectations regarding the commercial and scientific value of the publication in Nature Methods discussed in this press release, future sales and adoption of the Helicos® Genetic Analysis System and technology, 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’ 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.