SEATTLE — Amnis Corporation, a manufacturer of advanced cell imaging systems, today announced that the company has been acquired by EMD Millipore, the Life Science division of Merck KGaA of Germany. The transaction is subject to regulatory approvals and closing is expected to take place in the fourth quarter of 2011. The terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Amnis generated sales of USD 14 million (EUR 10 million) in 2010 and has maintained a compound annual growth rate in excess of 80% since 2005. The acquisition will allow Amnis to expand its growth potential via EMD Millipore’s global footprint, reagent expertise, and R&D resources. The acquisition will also complement EMD Millipore’s Guava flow cytometry product range.

David A. Basiji, co-founder and CEO of Amnis said, “The combination of Amnis with EMD Millipore will greatly accelerate development of novel applications in imaging flow cytometry, enhance our customer support, and accelerate product development.” William E. Ortyn, Amnis’ co-founder and President adds, “We are very pleased to become a member of the Merck KGaA of Germany. Together we will create and pursue compelling opportunities in both the life sciences research and clinical markets.”

“The acquisition of Amnis significantly contributes to our strategy to be a leader in cellular analysis and systems biology by providing access to Amnis’ novel imaging and image analysis technology, as well as their truly unique product line of instruments that combine high-speed imaging with flow cytometry,” said Jonathan DiVincenzo, head of the Bioscience business unit within EMD Millipore. “With Amnis, we acquire a business with a motivated and very talented workforce, a strong IP position, and unique know-how in a strongly growing segment of the life science research market.”

About Amnis

Amnis Corporation, headquartered in Seattle, WA, develops, manufactures and markets instrumentation for high speed cell imaging for research and diagnostic markets. The Company’s ImageStreamX and FlowSight imaging flow cytometers combine the speed and sensitivity of flow cytometry with the power of digital microscopy serving a broad spectrum of Life Sciences research market needs. As the only technology capable of imaging cells at high speed directly in bodily fluids, Amnis cytometers are being evaluated for unique, non-invasive diagnostic applications. Amnis was founded in 1999 and has generated ~80% annualized revenue growth since release of the Company’s first product in 2005. The Company holds 39 issued US patents and has 55 pending patent applications covering Amnis’ powerful architecture, subsystems and applications for imaging both in flow and on substrates. Amnis has benefited from a strong investor group that included MedVenture Associates, Crown Venture Fund, and OrbiMed Capital.

About EMD Millipore

EMD Millipore is the Life Science division of Merck KGaA of Germany and offers a broad range of innovative, performance products, services and business relationships that enable our customers’ success in research, development and production of biotech and pharmaceutical drug therapies. Through dedicated collaboration on new scientific and engineering insights, and as one of the top three R&D investors in the Life Science tools industry, EMD Millipore serves as a strategic partner to customers and helps advance the promise of life science. Headquartered in Billerica, Massachusetts, the division has around 10,000 employees, operations in 67 countries and 2010 revenues of USD 2.2 billion. EMD Millipore is known as Merck Millipore outside of the U.S. and Canada.

About Merck

Merck is a global pharmaceutical and chemical company with total revenues of EUR 9.3 billion in 2010, a history that began in 1668, and a future shaped by more than 40,000 employees in 67 countries. Its success is characterized by innovations from entrepreneurial employees. Merck’s operating activities come under the umbrella of Merck KGaA, in which the Merck family holds an approximately 70% interest and shareholders own the remaining approximately 30%. In 1917 the U.S. subsidiary Merck & Co. was expropriated and has been an independent company ever since.