Invitrogen Corporation (Nasdaq:IVGN), a provider of essential life science technologies for disease research and drug discovery, today unveiled the world's first commercially available microarray optimized for maximally functional proteins--the ProtoArray(TM) Human Protein Microarray. This high-density protein microarray, containing more than 1,800 unique human proteins, represents a cross-section of gene families including pharmaceutically relevant protein classes such as kinases, membrane-associated, cell-signaling and metabolic proteins. The ProtoArray allows identification of protein-protein interactions in as little as four hours as contrasted with the weeks required for similar experiments to date.

Invitrogen's latest offering is the first high-density array containing a high percentage of functional human proteins. Using Invitrogen's proprietary ProtoP5(TM) expression and purification technology, proteins on the ProtoArray slide retain superior activity profiles when compared to arrays produced using E. Coli based expression methods.

"Making a protein microarray like the ProtoArray available to the market means that we are able to address key challenges our customers face in developing new therapeutics," explained Dr. Claude Benchimol, Invitrogen's Senior Vice President, Research and Development. "Pharmaceutical companies need to accelerate target identification in their discovery efforts and study off target effects to help reduce failure rates, and now for the first time, there is a tool that rapidly helps them do both."

This first-in-class research tool supports the current shift from genome projects to an emphasis on studying proteins and protein function on a system wide, or proteome, scale. This is particularly important for pharmaceutical firms since proteins make up the majority of therapeutic targets. The ProtoArray is available to both commercial and academic researchers for studying a wide variety of protein interactions including protein-protein, protein-DNA and antibody specificity experiments.

"We have used the ProtoArray to search for components of a signaling pathway that regulates neural development," said Dr. Anthony Koleske at Yale University's Departments of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry and Neurobiology. "These high density arrays give us a very sensitive assay to identify pathway components that can not be found using more traditional approaches."

The ProtoArray Human Protein Microarray contains proteins derived almost entirely from Invitrogen's Ultimate(TM) ORF Clone Collection, assuring high-quality content through sequence verification and quality control measures. Additionally, the ProtoArray Human Protein Microarray pulls together key technologies from several important areas of Invitrogen's business including labeling and detection technologies from its Molecular Probes group, cloning technologies from its Functional Genomics business and protein array development capabilities gained through the acquisition of ProtoMetrix, Inc.

"By making high performance, high throughput and user friendly protein analyses widely available and affordable, our ProtoArray technology has the potential to jumpstart the growth of the protein array market, and is an example of Invitrogen's commitment to technology and market leadership," said Gregory T. Lucier, Chairman and CEO of Invitrogen. "ProtoArray is the first-in-class entrant in a market that could mirror the growth of the highly-successful DNA microarray segment. Invitrogen's global distribution reach, outstanding technical service and ability to provide integrated products and services across the entire continuum of research make it the ideal marketer for this breakthrough product."

The world's first commercial proteome array, the Yeast ProtoArray, was introduced by Invitrogen at the BIO 2004 conference in San Francisco in June. Launch of the Yeast ProtoArray and development of the human protein products follows Invitrogen's acquisition of the former Protometrix in Branford, Connecticut and the integration of their breakthrough technologies with Invitrogen's product portfolio and marketing and development capabilities.

For more information on the ProtoArray line of products, please visit ProtoArray Central at www.invitrogen.com/protoarray.

About Invitrogen

Invitrogen Corporation (Nasdaq:IVGN) provides products and services that support academic and government research institutions and pharmaceutical and biotech companies worldwide in their efforts to improve the human condition. The company provides essential life science technologies for disease research, drug discovery, and commercial bio-production. Invitrogen's own research and development efforts are focused on breakthrough innovation in all major areas of biological discovery including functional genomics, proteomics, bioinformatics and cell biology -- placing Invitrogen's products in nearly every major laboratory in the world. Founded in 1987, Invitrogen is headquartered in Carlsbad, California and conducts business in more than 70 countries around the world. The company globally employs approximately 4,000 scientists and other professionals. For more information about Invitrogen visit the company's web site at www.invitrogen.com

Safe Harbor Statement

Certain statements contained in this press release are considered "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, and it is Invitrogen's intent that such statements be protected by the safe harbor created thereby. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to: 1) The introduction of the Human ProtoArray will enable Invitrogen to better address key challenges of customers in drug development; 2) The introduction of the Human ProtoArray has the potential to jumpstart the protein array market; 3) The protein array market could mirror the success of the DNA microarray segment. Potential risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the risks: a) The Human ProtoArray may not have a significant effect on drug development results; b) The Human ProtoArray may not make a significant financial impact on the protein microarray market and c) The protein microarray may not meet expected targets for growth, as well as other risks and uncertainties detailed from time to time in Invitrogen's Securities and Exchange Commission filings.