HERCULES, CA--(Marketwire - Aug 29, 2012) - Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc. (NYSE: [ BIO ]) and (NYSE: [ BIO.B ]), a multinational manufacturer and distributor of life science research and clinical diagnostic products, today announced the launch of a Digital Biology Center to focus on the development of innovative new products based on the company's recently acquired droplet partitioning technology. The first product based on this technology, Bio-Rad's [ QX100™ Droplet Digital™ PCR system ] that was introduced last year, applies a sample partitioning technology to polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and offers a new approach to nucleic acid quantification. 

[ PCR ] is widely used to amplify and quantify nucleic acids. [ Droplet digital PCR ] offers researchers a new level of precision in the quantification of target nucleic acid molecules, providing accurate determination of [ copy number variation ] as well as the detection of rare mutation events such as those seen in certain tumors. Applications of these capabilities have the potential to provide new strategies for diagnosis of inherited disorders, cancer, and infectious disease.

"We believe the digital droplet partitioning technology, which is at the heart of our recently launched QX100 Droplet Digital PCR instrument, has potential far beyond the digital PCR market," said Annette Tumolo, Director, Digital Biology Center. "Our mission is to provide innovative products that deliver powerful, accessible solutions for digital biology and expand the reach of our digital droplet PCR technology." 

About the QX100 Droplet Digital System
The QX100 Droplet Digital PCR system (ddPCR™) provides an absolute measure of target DNA molecules with unrivaled performance in precision, accuracy, and sensitivity for quantitative PCR applications. The Droplet Digital PCR system is the third generation of PCR technology and provides a new approach to target DNA quantification. The QX100 droplet generator partitions samples into 20,000 nanoliter-sized droplets. After PCR on a thermal cycler, droplets from every sample are streamed in single file on the QX100 droplet reader. The PCR-positive and PCR-negative droplets are counted to provide absolute quantification of target DNA in digital form, detecting rare DNA target copies with unmatched sensitivity and determining copy number variation with unrivaled accuracy.

About Bio-Rad
Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc. (NYSE: [ BIO ]) and (NYSE: [ BIO.B ]) 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. The company 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 100,000 research and industry customers worldwide through its global network of operations. The company employs over 7,100 people globally and had revenues exceeding $2 billion in 2011. For more information, visit [ www.bio-rad.com ].

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