Celera Genomics to Provide Database Subscriptions to UT Southwestern, University of Cincinnati, and Ohio State University

Business Wire, July 19, 2000

Business Editors/Health & Medical Writers

ROCKVILLE, Md.--(BW HealthWire)--July 19, 2000

Celera Genomics (NYSE:CRA), a PE Corporation business, announced today it signed agreements with The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, University of Cincinnati and Ohio State University that provide comprehensive, multi-year subscriptions to certain Celera database products.

These universities will access Celera's database information through its Celera Discovery System. Financial terms of the agreements were not disclosed. The annual subscription rates are dependent on the nature of the subscription, size of the institution, and the number of users.

"We are pleased that these three esteemed research-based universities are now Celera customers," said J. Craig Venter, Ph.D., Celera's president and chief scientific officer. "Having access to our genomic information from the fruit fly, human and mouse along with the tools and software to browse, analyze, and interpret this data should enable these researchers to make exciting new scientific discoveries."

The UT Southwestern, University of Cincinnati, and Ohio State University subscriptions will provide access to the Celera Discovery System which includes a comprehensive set of bioinformatics systems and tools for viewing, browsing and analyzing genomic information. The database subscriptions give these academic researchers access to four databases developed by Celera. All four of Celera's databases include Celera proprietary information as well as publicly available data. First, the Celera Human Gene Index provides customers with the set of human genes derived from EST sequencing programs. Second, Celera's Human Genome Database is expected to provide the complete sequence of the human genome and the entire collection of human genes with links to associated biological and disease information. Third, the Drosophila Genome Database provides the complete sequence of the Drosophila melanogaster genome generated by Celera's whole genome shotgun sequencing strategy. The Drosophila Genome Database is extensively annotated with gene, protein and biological information. Fourth, the Mouse Genome Database being generated by Celera should allow for comparative analysis with the human genome that may be especially significant for the identification of genes and gene regulatory regions of importance to understanding human biology.

UT Southwestern is a component of The University of Texas System. It is one of the country's leading academic medical centers. UT Southwestern includes three degree-granting institutions: Southwestern Medical School, Southwestern Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences and Southwestern Allied Health Sciences School. These three schools train approximately 3,400 medical, graduate and allied health students, residents and postdoctoral fellows each year. The UT Southwestern faculty includes four Nobel Prize winners and 12 members of the National Academy of Sciences. In its efforts to bring the latest laboratory findings to the patient's bedside, UT Southwestern supports more than 1,900 research projects annually totaling more than $200 million.

The University of Cincinnati is a public comprehensive system of learning and research. The excellent faculty has distinguished themselves world wide for their biomedical research especially in transgenic technology, developmental and environmental genetics. The University's creative environment has lead to such discoveries as the development of the Sabin polio vaccine and the first commercial antihistamine, Benadryl. The Medical Center consists of more than 1,000 faculty and staff in four health colleges and serving five teaching and research hospitals. External research support for the UC Medical Center exceeds $120 million per year.

The Ohio State University has as its mission the attainment of international distinction in education, scholarship, and public service. As a leading comprehensive teaching and research university, Ohio State combines a responsibility for the advancement and dissemination of knowledge with a land-grant heritage of public service. It offers an extensive range of academic programs in the liberal arts, the sciences, and the professions. Ohio State provides accessible, high-quality undergraduate and graduate education for qualified students who are able to benefit from a scholarly environment in which research inspires and informs teaching. Ohio State celebrates and learns from its diversity and values individual differences. Academic freedom is defended within an environment of civility, tolerance, and mutual respect.

PE Corporation comprises two operating groups. The Celera Genomics Group (NYSE:CRA), headquartered in Rockville, MD, intends to become the definitive source of genomic and related medical information. The PE Biosystems Group (NYSE:PEB), with sales of $1.2 billion during fiscal 1999, develops and markets instrument-based systems, reagents, software and contract services to the life science industry and research community. PE Biosystems is headquartered in Foster City, CA, and comprises four divisions: Applied Biosystems, PE Informatics, PerSeptive Biosystems, and Tropix. Information about the company, including reports and other information filed by the company with the Securities and Exchange Commission, is available on the worldwide web at www.pecorporation.com or by phoning 800/762-6923.