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INDUSTRY NEWS

ILLUMINA APPOINTS MCCOMB AND HEATH
March 17, 2008 – Illumina, Inc. today announced the appointment of Joel McComb
as Senior Vice President and General Manager of the Company's Life Sciences Business Unit and Gregory F. Heath, Ph.D., as Senior Vice President and General Manager of the Company's Diagnostics Business Unit.

Joel McComb joins Illumina from GE Healthcare where he held a number of executive positions including his most recent position as President of the Interventional Medicine Business. Prior to this role, Joel was President of Life Sciences Discovery Systems, a $600 million division of GE Healthcare. This business unit was formed after GE acquired Amersham Biosciences, and markets molecular biology, genomics, proteomic, and cellular imaging products.

In his new position as Illumina's General Manager of Life Sciences, Joel is responsible for managing all products and services related to the research market, namely the BeadArray(TM), BeadXpress(R), and Sequencing product lines.

Gregory F. Heath brings with him more than 20 years of Diagnostics experience, including launching the world's first FDA-approved microarray for diagnostic use.
He joins Illumina from Roche Molecular Systems where he held a number of senior executive positions, including Head of Clinical Genomics, Senior Vice President
of Global Product Marketing, Senior Vice President of Global Marketing and Business Development, and most recently, Senior Vice President of Global Business.

In his new position as General Manager of Diagnostics, Greg is responsible
for managing Illumina's emerging diagnostics business, specifically overseeing
the development of diagnostic content for the BeadXpress system, and ultimately
for Illumina's Sequencing products.

BRUKER BIOSCIENCES TO CHANGE NAME
February 25, 2008 – After the Company's Special Stockholders Meeting
held this morning in Boston, Bruker BioSciences Corporation announced that its stockholders have approved the acquisition of the companies comprising the Bruker BioSpin Group.

All proposals were approved with overwhelming majorities by the Bruker BioSciences stockholders. In particular, the three proposals for the acquisition of the Bruker BioSpin Group companies were each approved by a majority of greater than 99% of the BRKR shareholders not affiliated with the controlling shareholders of BRKR and who voted at the meeting.

In addition, stockholders approved amendments to the Company's certificate of incorporation to change the name of the Company to 'Bruker Corporation'.

ROCHE COMPLETED TENDER OFFER FOR VENTANA
February 19, 2008 – Roche and Ventana Medical Systems Inc. announced that Roche has completed the tender offer for the outstanding shares of Ventana. As of the expiration of the subsequent offering period, Rocket Acquisition Corporation, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Roche, had purchased a total of approximately 34,545,323 shares of Ventana common stock, representing approximately 93.7% of Ventana’s outstanding shares. All shares validly tendered in the offer have been accepted for payment, and the consideration for all such shares either has been paid or will promptly be paid.

Roche expects to complete the acquisition of Ventana today through a short-form merger, without a vote or meeting of Ventana’s shareholders. In the merger, all of the shares of Ventana not owned by Roche and its subsidiaries (other than shares as
to which appraisal rights are validly exercised) will be converted into the right to
receive the same cash consideration that was paid in the tender offer. Following the
merger, Ventana’s common stock will cease to be traded on the NASDAQ Global Select Market.

GE HEALTHCARE TO ACQUIRE WHATMAN
February 4, 2008 – GE Healthcare and Whatman plc announced that they have reached agreement on the terms of a recommended acquisition of Whatman by GE Healthcare. Under the terms of the transaction, each Whatman shareholder will receive 270 pence in cash for each Whatman share, valuing Whatman at approximately £363 million (approximately $713 million.) The transaction is subject to approval by Whatman’s shareholders as well as customary regulatory approvals.

Whatman has a broad product offering of filters and membranes for laboratory, research, life sciences and medical technology applications. GE Healthcare’s Life Sciences business is a world class provider of technologies for cellular and protein science research, and tools used in the manufacture of biopharmaceuticals such as vaccines, cell therapies and antibodies. The strong strategic fit between the two businesses will offer substantial customer benefits and create significant synergies through complementary product and service offerings.

Peter Ehrenheim, President and CEO of GE Healthcare’s Life Sciences business, said, “Whatman’s expertise and reputation in filtration technologies and sample preparation is a great fit for our Life Sciences business because it brings new technologies that are fundamental to helping researchers increase their understanding of the role of genes and proteins in disease. We believe that combining the skills of the two companies will enable GE Healthcare to create strong added value for customers in biomedical and drug discovery research.”

AFFYMETRIX COMPLETES USB ACQUISITION
January 31, 2008 – Affymetrix Inc. announced the completion of its acquisition of USB Corporation, a privately held Cleveland, Ohio-based company that develops, manufactures and markets an extensive line of molecular biology and biochemical reagent products. In connection with the completion of the acquisition, USB stockholders received approximately $75 million in cash.

PERKINELMER ELECTS FRIEL
January 23, 2008 – PerkinElmer, Inc. announced that Robert F. Friel has been elected Chief Executive Officer by the Company's Board of Directors effective February 1, 2008. Mr. Friel will also retain the title of President.

Gregory L. Summe will continue in the role of Executive Chairman of the Board, and remain as such through the Annual Shareholders meeting in April 2009. The announcement is consistent with the Company's leadership succession plan announced in July 2007.

Friel, who serves on the ALSSA Board of Directors, joined PerkinElmer in 1999 as Chief Financial Officer, and was appointed Vice Chairman and President of its Life and Analytical Sciences business in 2006. In 2007, Friel was appointed President and Chief Operating Officer of the Company.

LUMINEX JOINS ALSSA
January 22, 2008 – Luminex Corporation, based in Austin, Texas, has joined ALSSA. Incorporated in May 1995, Luminex Corporation develops, manufactures and markets innovative biological testing technologies with applications throughout the life science and diagnostic industries. The company’s open-architecture xMAP® technology enables large numbers of biological tests (bioassays) to be conducted and analyzed quickly, cost-effectively and accurately.

Russell Bradley, Vice President of Strategic Planning and Business Development, will be the official representative to ALSSA, and Gregory J. Gosch, Vice President of Sales & Marketing, will be the alternate representative. For more information, please consult their web site at www.luminexcorp.com.

MALVERN BUYS VISCOTEK
January 17, 2008 – Materials characterization company Malvern Instruments has acquired Viscotek Corporation, a leading provider of chromatography solutions for the characterization of natural and synthetic polymers and proteins. Malvern supplies systems for the characterization of particulate materials, providing complete application solutions across a broad range of industries. The acquisition of Viscotek brings new and complementary technologies and expertise into the company, adding Gel Permeation Chromatography (GPC), Flow Injection Polymer Analysis (FIPA)
and Dilute Solution Viscosity (DSV), and extending the range of characterization
solutions offered.

Viscotek’s present management team will continue to lead the business, which will operate as Viscotek Corporation, a Malvern Company.

INVITROGEN TO AQUIRE CELLZDIRECT
January 10, 2008 – Invitrogen Corporation announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to purchase privately-held CellzDirect, Inc., based in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, in a cash transaction for approximately $57 million. The acquisition is expected to close in the first quarter.

CellzDirect provides hepatocyte-based cell products and related services used in the testing of new drugs. CellzDirect’s products are mainly used by pharmaceutical and biotech companies in research and development. Primary hepatocytes are also used in biomedical research to study liver diseases and to understand downstream implications of cellular function.

SYMYX TECHNOLOGIES AND ALPHA INNOTECH JOIN ALSSA
January 7, 2008 – Symyx Technologies, Inc. and Alpha Innotech Corporation are the two latest companies to submit applications for membership in ALSSA.

Symyx Technologies is located in Sunnyvale, California. Their Tools Division produces software, integrated workflow solutions and research services aimed at accelerating R&D success. Gerard A. Abraham, President of the Symyx Tools Division, will be the official representative to ALSSA. For more information, consult their web site at www.symyx.com.

Alpha Innotech Corporation is located in San Leandro, California. Founded in 1992, the company manufactures and markets digital imaging and detection systems for the life science research and drug discovery markets. Ron Bissinger, CEO, will be the official representative to ALSSA, and Sia Ghazvini, Vice President of Marketing & Business Development, will be the alternate representative. For more information, consult their web site at www.alphainnotech.com.

ILLUMINA REORGANIZATION
January 4, 2008 – Illumina, Inc. announced that it has reorganized its operating structure to further leverage the synergies between its sequencing and genotyping businesses. Under the new structure, a newly created Life Sciences Business Unit will include all products and services related to the research market namely the BeadArray, BeadXpress and Sequencing product lines. The Company has also created a Diagnostics Business Unit to put more focus on the emerging opportunity in molecular diagnostics. The Diagnostics Business Unit will develop diagnostic content for the BeadXpress system, and ultimately for Illumina's Sequencing products.

Effective immediately, Christian Henry, Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer will take on the role of Acting General Manager of the Sequencing business. The company also announced that it has hired a Senior Vice President and General Manager, Life Sciences who will be responsible for managing the newly created Life Sciences Business Unit, and that has hired a Senior Vice President and General Manager, Diagnostics.

Further, Illumina announced that it has initiated searches for a Senior Vice President Product Development and a Senior Vice President of Operations, with both reporting to the General Manager, Life Sciences.

THERMO PURCHASES LA-PHA-PACK
December 20, 2007 – Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. announced it has acquired La-Pha-Pack, a leading manufacturer and provider of chromatography consumables and related accessories, based in Langerwehe, Germany. With revenues of approximately $25 million, La-Pha-Pack will allow Thermo Fisher to offer customers an expanded line of chromatography consumable products through broad geographic coverage in Europe.

La-Pha-Pack will be integrated into Thermo Fisher Scientific's laboratory consumables business, which is part of its Laboratory Products and Services Segment. For more information, visit http://www.la-pha-pack.com.

PERKINELMER BUYS METABOLIC SCREENING BUSINESS
December 19, 2007 – PerkinElmer, Inc. announced the signing of a definitive agreement with Pediatrix Medical Group, Inc. under which PerkinElmer will acquire the newborn metabolic screening business of Pediatrix in a cash transaction. The acquisition is expected to close during the first quarter.

Under the terms of the agreement, PerkinElmer will acquire Pediatrix's metabolic screening laboratory and its StepOne(R) newborn screening product that is capable of analyzing more than 50 inherited disorders in newborns. Currently, Pediatrix's screening laboratory provides neonatal screening and consultative services to hospitals, medical groups, and the states of Maryland, Mississippi, Louisiana, Nebraska and Pennsylvania, as well as the District of Columbia. Since its founding in 1994, the laboratory has screened more than three million babies, and is anticipated to generate revenues of approximately $15 million in 2007.

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