Integrated TaqMan(R)-Based Solutions Streamline Real-Time PCR Workflows Using Cultured Cells

FOSTER CITY, Calif.–Applied Biosystems (NYSE:ABI – News), an Applera Corporation business, today announced a new family of real-time PCR reagent kits that enable researchers to more rapidly perform cell-based gene expression research. The TaqMan® Cells-to-CT™ Kit solutions are chemical reagents that are designed to reduce the amount of time that is typically necessary to prepare and analyze RNA from cultured cells using real-time PCR in applications such as siRNA-mediated gene silencing and microRNA analysis.

This family of kits enables expression analysis to be performed directly from cultured mammalian cells derived from a variety of tissue sources, including epithelial cells and stem cells. Integrating gold-standard TaqMan chemistry, these kits are part of a complete workflow that has been designed with all the necessary reagents for performing expression analysis and are validated for use with Applied Biosystems’ TaqMan Assays and Arrays. These new, streamlined workflows eliminate the time-consuming step of RNA purification and reduce the traditionally labor intensive process of preparing samples to 10 minutes or less, compared to 30-60 minutes when using traditional methods.

These reagents, which are manufactured and validated by Applied Biosystems, are optimized for use with the company’s industry-leading real-time PCR instrument systems. The TaqMan Cells-to-CT kits expand Applied Biosystems’ portfolio of real-time PCR workflows. They include:

TaqMan® Gene Expression Cells-to-CT™ Kit for gene expression analysis from mRNA.

TaqMan® PreAmp Cells-to-CT™ Kit for preamplification of selected targets when using precious or limited samples.

TaqMan® MicroRNA Cells-to-CT™ Kit for microRNA expression analysis.

TaqMan® Fast Cells-to-CT™ Kit (expected to be released May 2008) for gene expression analysis with Fast Real-Time PCR.

“The development of these new reagents demonstrates Applied Biosystems’ continued strategic focus on bringing high-quality, application-specific solutions for real-time PCR to market,” said Peter Dansky, president of Applied Biosystems’ functional analysis division. “Our customers are continuing to derive new applications for real-time PCR, and we intend to continue to play a leading role in providing them with differentiated solutions that are tailored to their specific research workflows.”

Real-time PCR is a laboratory method that is widely used in academic and industry laboratories to simultaneously detect and determine the amount of nucleic acids present in samples. Research data generated using these reagents can help researchers to precisely assess how changes in the amounts of RNA in these cells may contribute to the development of disease, as well as how they relate to biological processes.

For instance, Reproductive Medicine Associates of New Jersey, one of the world’s largest and most experienced centers for infertility treatment, utilizes real-time PCR in its research, which focuses on developing new diagnostics and therapeutics for in-vitro fertilization. Scientists at the center have developed an innovative procedure for screening all 46 human chromosomes to identify abnormalities in embryos, and have begun to determine when stem cells differentiate during pre-implantation embryonic development. They are using the TaqMan Gene Expression Cells-to-CT Kit for several projects including the characterization of single cells in three-day old embryos. This particular kit allows them to rapidly process RNA and directly analyze it on TaqMan Arrays without purification. This is a new time saving workflow that is uniquely enabled by the kit. It also eliminates the loss of RNA, which is particularly important for downstream gene expression analysis of single cells.

“The use of real-time PCR is critical to our ability to perform expression analysis on stem cells,” said Dr. Nathan Treff, Ph.D., director of molecular biology at Reproductive Medicine Associates of New Jersey. “Using the TaqMan Gene Expression Cells-to-CT Kit and TaqMan Arrays, we have been able to bring efficiencies to our real-time PCR workflow, while increasing the throughput of our lab 10-fold.”

The complete family of TaqMan Cells-to-CT Kit solutions have been extensively tested and validated to work with Applied Biosystems’ line of TaqMan® MicroRNA Assays and TaqMan® Gene Expression Assays and TaqMan Arrays. Applied Biosystems is a global leader in the development and commercialization of instrument-based systems, consumables, software, and services for the life-science market. The company’s comprehensive line of real-time PCR chemistries and instrument systems includes the Applied Biosystems 7900HT Fast Real-Time PCR System, 7500 Real-Time PCR System, 7500 Fast Real-Time PCR System, 7300 Real-time PCR System, StepOne™ Real-Time PCR System, and StepOnePlus™ Real-Time PCR System.

For more information about the new TaqMan Cells-to-CT kits and Applied Biosystems complete line of real-time PCR please visit www.appliedbiosystems.com/c2ct.

About Applera Corporation and Applied Biosystems

Applera Corporation consists of two operating groups. Applied Biosystems serves the life science industry and research community by developing and marketing instrument-based systems, consumables, software, and services. Customers use these tools to analyze nucleic acids (DNA and RNA), small molecules, and proteins to make scientific discoveries and develop new pharmaceuticals. Applied Biosystems’ products also serve the needs of some markets outside of life science research, which we refer to as “applied markets,” such as the fields of: human identity testing (forensic and paternity testing); biosecurity, which refers to products needed in response to the threat of biological terrorism and other malicious, accidental, and natural biological dangers; and quality and safety testing, such as testing required for food and pharmaceutical manufacturing. Applied Biosystems is headquartered in Foster City, CA, and reported sales of approximately $2.1 billion during fiscal 2007. The Celera Group is a diagnostics business delivering personalized disease management through a combination of products and services incorporating proprietary discoveries. Berkeley HeartLab, a subsidiary of Celera, offers services to predict cardiovascular disease risk and optimize patient management. Celera also commercializes a wide range of molecular diagnostic products through its strategic alliance with Abbott and has licensed other relevant diagnostic technologies developed to provide personalized disease management in cancer and liver diseases. Information about Applera Corporation, including reports and other information filed by the company with the Securities and Exchange Commission, is available at http://www.applera.com, or by telephoning 800.762.6923. Information about Applied Biosystems is available at http://www.appliedbiosystems.com. All information in this press release is as of the date of the release, and Applera does not undertake any duty to update this information unless required by law.

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