Agilent Technologies, Life Technologies Co-Market Target-Enrichment System for...

SANTA CLARA and CARLSBAD, Calif., Sept. 22, 2009 – Agilent Technologies Inc. (NYSE: A) and Applied Biosystems, part of Life Technologies Corp. (NASDAQ: LIFE), today introduced the Agilent SureSelect Target Enrichment System, which is optimized for the SOLiD™ System, a next-generation advanced genomic analysis sequencing platform. As part of the agreement, the companies are co-marketing the SureSelect system, which is a unique research tool for efficiently re-sequencing specific regions of interest in the genome. The tool saves researchers tremendous amounts of time and expense, often enabling them to conduct studies that would otherwise not be feasible.

In advance of the commercialization, the SureSelect Target Enrichment System was made available to a number of research scientists using the SOLiD System on an early-access basis, including Dr. John McPherson, Cancer Genomics director at the Ontario Institute for Cancer Research (OICR). Research scientists at OICR are using seven SOLiD Systems to identify genes critical to the development of cancer.

“In the course of our cancer research, we will target several genomic regions with the SureSelect solution for sequencing on the SOLiD platform,” McPherson said. “The combination of the SureSelect enrichment and the accuracy of the SOLiD System will enable us to cost-effectively assess genetic variation across multiple tumor samples.”  

Agilent’s target-enrichment product line offers customer-specified mixtures of up to 55,000 biotinylated RNA probes, delivered in single tubes. The capture probes are 120 base pairs long, the longest currently on the market for this application. This makes them very effective at capturing DNA containing unknown mutations, such as single nucleotide polymorphisms, insertions or deletions. SureSelect products are packaged for a range of study sizes, from tens to thousands of samples, and are well-suited for automation in very-high-throughput workflows, unlike other commercially available products for this application.

Users can design their own custom SureSelect mixtures using the Agilent eArray online design tool, which contains many key genomes and also lets users upload their own sequences. This intuitive, Web-based design tool is the heart of Agilent’s custom genomics product manufacturing capability and is now expanded to the new SureSelect platforms. eArray allows researchers to easily design the tools they need without up-front design fees.

“We’re delighted to pair the Agilent SureSelect Target Enrichment System with the massively parallel SOLiD technology in this way,” said Nick Roelofs, Ph.D., president, Agilent Life Sciences Group. “We’ve succeeded in developing a front-end method for isolating complex subsets of genomes that greatly enhances the efficiency of next-generation sequencing technologies like the SOLiD System. This can enable research scientists to gain new insights into the biology of their samples while running more samples at less cost.”

“By building a relationship with Agilent, we will be able to provide a solution to reduce sample complexity and ultimately allow research scientists to analyze a greater number of samples per study without sacrificing the accuracy associated with the SOLiD technology, currently unmatched in the life science industry,” said Shaf Yousaf, head of genomics analysis, Life Technologies.

Agilent offers a number of research products for the next-generation sequencing workflow, including automation solutions such as the Agilent Bravo Automated Liquid Handling Platform; the Agilent 2100 Bioanalyzer with high-sensitivity DNA kit; and Stratagene high-fidelity PCR enzymes.

For more information about the Agilent SureSelect Target Enrichment System, please visit www.opengenomics.com/SureSelect. Find eArray at https://earray.chem.agilent.com.

For more information about The SOLiD™ System, please visit http://www3.appliedbiosystems.com/AB_Home/applicationstechnologies/SOLiDSystemSequencing/index.htm.

About Applied Biosystems Products

Life Technologies’ Applied Biosystems brand is a global leader in providing innovative, optimized instrument systems and workflows to accelerate academic and clinical research, drug discovery and development, pathogen detection and forensic DNA analysis. Through its Applied Biosystems and Invitrogen brand of reagents, kits and bench-top devices, Life Technologies markets the most comprehensive portfolio of solutions for molecular and cell biology. Applied Biosystems and Invitrogen products are used in nearly every major laboratory in the world. For more information, please visit: www.appliedbiosystems.com and www.invitrogen.com.

About Life Technologies

Life Technologies Corporation (NASDAQ: LIFE) is a global biotechnology tools company dedicated to improving the human condition. Our systems, consumables and services enable researchers to accelerate scientific exploration, driving to discoveries and developments that make life even better. Life Technologies customers do their work across the biological spectrum, working to advance personalized medicine, regenerative science, molecular diagnostics, agricultural and environmental research, and 21st century forensics. Life Technologies had sales of more than $3 billion in 2008, employs approximately 9,500 people, has a presence in more than 100 countries, and possesses a rapidly growing intellectual property estate of approximately 3,600 patents and exclusive licenses. Life Technologies was created by the combination of Invitrogen Corp. and Applied Biosystems Inc. For more information on how we are making a difference please visit our Web site: www.lifetechnologies.com.

Life Technologies’ Safe Harbor Statement

This press release includes forward-looking statements about our anticipated results that involve risks and uncertainties. Some of the information contained in this press release, including, but not limited to, statements as to industry trends and Life Technologies’ plans, objectives, expectations and strategy for its business, contains forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Any statements that are not statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements. When used, the words “believe,” “plan,” “intend,” “anticipate,” “target,” “estimate,” “expect” and the like, and/or future tense or conditional constructions (“will,” “may,” “could,” “should,” etc.), or similar expressions, identify certain of these forward-looking statements. Important factors which could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements are detailed in filings made by Life Technologies with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Life Technologies undertakes no obligation to update or revise any such forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances.

For Research Use Only. Not for use in diagnostic procedures.

Copyright 2009. Life Technologies Corporation. All rights reserved. AB (Design), and Applied Biosystems are registered trademarks and SOLiD are trademarks of Life Technologies or its subsidiaries in the United States and/or certain other countries.

About Agilent Technologies

Agilent Technologies Inc. (NYSE: A) is the world’s premier measurement company and a technology leader in communications, electronics, life sciences and chemical analysis. The company’s 18,000 employees serve customers in more than 110 countries. Agilent had net revenues of $5.8 billion in fiscal 2008. Information about Agilent is available on the Web at www.agilent.com.

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