Paul Hastings Represents Applied Biosystems Group and Applera Corporation in $273 Million Acquisition Of Research Products Division of Ambion, Inc.

December 29, 2005

Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker LLP (Paul Hastings), a leading international law firm, represented Foster City, California-based Applied Biosystems Group (NYSE: ABI), an Applera Corporation business, in its pending acquisition of the Research Products Division of Ambion, Inc. for approximately $273 million in cash. The Paul Hastings team was led by partners Deyan Spiridonov and Carl Sanchez from the firm’s M&A Practice Group, along with associates Tamara Porter and Iver Larson. About Applera Corporation and Applied Biosystems: Applera Corporation consists of two operating groups. The Applied Biosystems Group serves the life science industry and research community by developing and marketing instrument-based systems, consumables, software, and services. Applied Biosystems is headquartered in Foster City, CA. The Celera Genomics Group (NYSE:CRA) is engaged principally in the discovery and development of targeted therapeutics for cancer, autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. Information about Applera Corporation, including reports and other information filed by the company with the Securities and Exchange Commission, is available at http://www.applera.com. Information about Applied Biosystems is available at http://www.appliedbiosystems.com/. Paul Hastings Janofsky & Walker LLP, founded in 1951, is a leading international law firm with 1,000 attorneys in 17 offices. The firm serves a diverse client base including many of the top financial institutions and Fortune 500 companies, supports clients in all of their legal needs and offers deep capabilities in Banking and Finance, Capital Markets, Corporate/M+A, Litigation and Dispute Resolution, Intellectual Property, Project Finance, Investment Management, Real Estate, Labor and Employment and Tax Advisory Services. For additional information, please visit our website at www.paulhastings.com.