Life Technologies' Ion Personal Genome Machine Receives San Diego's CONNECT Most Innovative New Product Award

CARLSBAD, Calif., Dec. 9, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Life Technologies Corporation today announced that its Ion Personal Genome Machine (PGM™) was honored during the 24th annual Most Innovative New Product "MIP" Awards luncheon hosted by CONNECT in San Diego today.  The judges recognized the PGM for its disruptive technology in the gene sequencing field.

Since its launch in Dec. 2010, the PGM has had strong uptake in research labs around the world and has been key to help solve major public health threats this year. In June, the PGM solved Europe's deadly E. coli outbreak by sequencing the bacterium's DNA in two hours – a feat that would have taken weeks on traditional instruments. The bench top instrument also helped solve a Klebisella pneumoniae outbreak in a Dutch hospital in August – marking the first time whole genome sequencing was used to identify a novel human pathogen.

"Speed, scalability and simplicity has always been at the core of the PGM," said Rob Bennett, head of Research and Development, who accepted Life Technologies' award in the Life Sciences – Diagnostics and Research Tools category. "I and the Ion team at Life Technologies are honored to be recognized for an instrument that is having such a major impact in the genetic analysis field."

A semiconductor chip is at the heart of the PGM's technology. Instead of relying on light-based technology and cameras to capture images of DNA sequences, the PGM is the first instrument of its kind that translates chemical information into digital data.  This is performed on a massively parallel format this is enabled by the chip, which drastically accelerates the sequencing process.

CONNECT is a regional organization that promotes and facilitates the development of innovative technology and life science products in San Diego. It was originally founded as part of University of California at San Diego in 1985 and has since helped develop more than 3,000 companies by creating networking opportunities between inventors and entrepreneurs.

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

About Life Technologies (www.lifetechnologies.com)

Life Technologies Corporation is a global biotechnology company dedicated to improving the human condition. Our systems, consumables and services enable researchers to accelerate scientific and medical advancements that make life even better. Life Technologies customers do their work across the biological spectrum, working to advance the fields of discovery and translational research, molecular medicine, stem cell-based therapies, food safety and animal health, and 21st century forensics. The company manufactures both molecular diagnostic and research use only products. Life Technologies' industry-leading brands are found in nearly every life sciences lab in the world and include innovative instrument systems under the Applied Biosystems and Ion Torrent names, as well as, the broadest range of reagents with its Invitrogen, GIBCO, Ambion, Molecular Probes and TaqMan ® products. Life Technologies had sales of $3.6 billion in 2010, has a workforce of approximately 11,000 people, has a presence in approximately 160 countries, and possesses one of the largest intellectual property estates in the life sciences industry, with approximately 3,900 patents and exclusive licenses. For more information on how we are making a difference, please visit 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.

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

SOURCE Life Technologies Corporation