Wildfire Upgrade Shaves a Day From the Workflow, Cuts Price of Next Generation Sequencing by 50%, and Maintains Highest Accuracy for 5500 Series Genetic Analyzers

CARLSBAD, Calif., May 31, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Life Technologies Corporation (NASDAQ: LIFE) today announced the 5500xl W Genetic Analyzer has radically simplified the next generation sequencing workflow, as well as significantly improved the economics of sequencing. The 5500xl W combines unique, rapid in-situ template preparation with the industry leading accuracy and pay-per-lane sequencing already well associated with the 5500 Series Genetic Analyzers. Now with the Wildfire upgrade, 5500 Series Genetic Analyzers are transformed into the most affordable, flexible and accurate optical-based system in the next generation sequencing marketplace.

This simple and rapid on-instrument "Wildfire" template preparation technology completely eliminates all tedious and time consuming steps associated with the previous sample preparation methodology. The Wildfire based template preparation takes only two hours and reduces the price of 5500xl sequencing by 50% - delivering the lowest price per read for any next generation sequencer.  The 5500xl W upgrade is available to any existing 5500 or 5500xl Genetic Analyzer customer.

The 5500xl W Genetic Analyzer is now capable of delivering the highest number of tags of any next generation sequencer for RNA sequencing experiments. The combination of inexpensive Wildfire template preparation and, pay-per-lane functionality, also enables low price human exome sequencing. 

Customers can directly experience the high quality of 5500xl W data by submitting libraries to the Life Technologies Sequencing Center, (LTSC). Researchers interested in using this service should contact [email protected]. The LTSC will perform exome or transcriptome sequencing at affordable promotional pricing. For more detailed information regarding the 5500xl W technology, including pricing, please visit www.lifetechnologies.com/5500xlW

Customers Experiencing the Benefits of the 5500xl W
The first 5500xl W Genetic Analyzer has now been installed and is operational in Dr. Edwin Cuppen's laboratory within the Medical Genetics Department of the University Medical Center in Utrecht, The Netherlands. The Cuppen lab works in partnership with the Hubrecht Institute and has a strong reputation for combining experimental methods, including next generation sequencing technology and animal model studies. The lab uses special bioinformatics approaches to identify functional elements in genomes and understand the effects of genetic variation under normal and disease conditions. Dr. Edwin Cuppen will be using the 5500xl W Genetic Analyzer to focus on large scale whole genome structural variation studies. 

Dr. Cuppen said "We are very excited to have 5500xl W Genetic Analyzer installed in our laboratory. The simplified workflow and dramatically increased throughput will have an enormous impact on our ongoing and future experiments. Based on our collaboration with Life Technologies, this technology will enable us to perform next generation sequencing with the best accuracy and fast and simple in-situ template preparation. We will use data from the 5500xl W Genetic Analyzer in our high throughput human structural variation study using mate-pair sequencing. This will enable us to survey dozens of genomes at high resolution and sensitivity in just a single lane." 

"We are extremely grateful to Dr. Cuppen for his commitment to the 5500 platform with Wildfire technology," said Mark Gardner, vice president and general manager, 5500 business at Life Technologies. "Customers can now place orders for the Wildfire upgrade in every region, and we anticipate that many of our 5500 customers will choose to upgrade in order to take advantage of this revolutionary advancement in the system's workflow, price, and throughput. By combining pay-per-lane flexibility with Wildfire, 5500 customers will achieve the industry's lowest price per read and highest base-calling accuracy with a simple, low cost upgrade."

For research use only. Not for use in diagnostic procedures.

About Life Technologies
Life Technologies Corporation (NASDAQ: LIFE) is a global biotechnology company with customers in more than 160 countries using its innovative solutions to solve some of today's most difficult scientific challenges. Quality and innovation are accessible to every lab with its reliable and easy-to-use solutions spanning the biological spectrum with more than 50,000 products for translational research, molecular medicine and diagnostics, stem cell-based therapies, forensics, food safety and animal health. Its systems, reagents and consumables represent some of the most cited brands in scientific research including: Ion Torrent™, Applied Biosystems®, Invitrogen™, GIBCO®, Ambion®, Molecular Probes®, Novex®, and TaqMan®. Life Technologies employs approximately 10,400 people and upholds its ongoing commitment to innovation with more than 4,000 patents and exclusive licenses. LIFE had sales of $3.7 billion in 2011. Visit us at our website: http://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.

(Logo:  http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110216/MM49339LOGO)

Life Technologies Contact
Mauricio Minotta
760-929-2456
[email protected]

SOURCE Life Technologies Corporation

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