Bio-Rad Announces the Exclusive Availability of Biogazelle's qbasePLUS Data Analysis Software with Bio-Rad's CFX96™ and CFX384™ Real-Time PCR Systems

Date: 
2009-10-12

Hercules, CA — October 12, 2009 — Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc. (NYSE: BIO and BIOb), a multinational manufacturer and distributor of life science research and clinical diagnostic products, today announced the exclusive availability of Biogazelle's qbasePLUS qPCR data analysis software for Bio-Rad's CFX96 and CFX384 real-time PCR detection systems.

"The combination of qbasePLUS software with Bio-Rad's CFX96 and CFX384 real-time PCR systems provides our customers with improved accuracy in their qPCR experiments and speeds up data analysis," said Richard Kurtz, Marketing Manager, Amplification, Bio-Rad Laboratories.

qbasePLUS helps researchers accurately analyze gene expression in their real-time PCR data, providing proven solutions for data quality control. The software allows for the elimination of erroneous data, normalization to remove sample-specific nonbiologic variation, and inter-run calibration, which can remove the technical variation between samples analyzed in different runs. Enhancing the reliability of the qPCR data, qbasePLUS conforms to the emerging qPCR best practices standard: Minimum Information for Publication of Quantitative Real-Time PCR Experiments (MIQE), which defines the minimum information required for the evaluation of qPCR results.

Using the CFX96 and CFX384 systems with qbasePLUS software saves time and accelerates research through automated, fast calculations and direct import of data from the system to the software. The combined solution provides researchers with the flexibility to handle both small and large experiments as well as combine data from different experiments using qbasePLUS software as a repository database. For more information please visit www.bio-rad.com/amplification/.

About the CFX96 and CFX384 Systems
Using the Bio-Rad C1000™ thermal cycler chassis as the base thermal cycler instrument, the CFX96 and CFX384 real-time PCR detection systems incorporate innovative optical technologies and software to deliver sensitive, reliable detection for real-time PCR applications, including absolute quantitation, genetic variation analysis, and gene expression. Both systems read each well individually with high sensitivity and no cross talk to deliver optimal quantitative results. The CFX96 and CFX384 systems provide excellent performance in uniformity, dynamic range of detection, and multiplexing capabilities, and they can be operated in several control configurations, including a stand-alone mode with no computer attached. With the CFX384 system, researchers have access to high-throughput real-time PCR in a 384-well format without having to sacrifice convenience and flexibility. For more information please visit www.bio-rad.com/amplification/.

About Bio-Rad
Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc. (NYSE: BIO and BIOb), has remained at the center of scientific discovery for more than 50 years, manufacturing and distributing a broad range of products for the life science research and clinical diagnostic markets. Bio-Rad is renowned worldwide among hospitals, universities, major research institutions, as well as biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies for its commitment to quality and customer service. Founded in 1952, Bio-Rad is headquartered in Hercules, California, and serves more than 85,000 research and industry customers worldwide through its global network of operations. The company employs over 6,500 people globally and had revenues exceeding $1.7 billion in 2008. For more information, visit www.bio-rad.com.

About Biogazelle
Biogazelle was founded in 2007 as a privately held Ghent University spin-off company specializing in real-time PCR experiment design and data analysis. Its founders' know-how and expertise in nucleic acid quantification and biostatistics is internationally recognized. Biogazelle hopes to be of service to you. For more information, please visit www.biogazelle.com.

This release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Forward-looking statements generally can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as, "believe," "expect," "may," "will," "intend," "estimate," "continue," or similar expressions or the negative of those terms or expressions. Such statements involve risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to vary materially from those expressed in or indicated by the forward-looking statements. For further information regarding the Company's risks and uncertainties, please refer to the "Risk Factors" in the Company's public reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the Company's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, and Current Reports on Form 8-K. The Company cautions you not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which reflect an analysis only and speak only as of the date hereof. Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc., disclaims any obligation to update these forward-looking statements.

For more information contact:
Richard Kurtz
Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc.
800-876-3425x 5638
Richard_Kurtz@bio-rad.com