Bio-Rad to Integrate CSIRO’s Molecular Modeling Technology into its KnowItAll Informatics System for In Silico ADME/Tox

PHILADELPHIA, PA, March 14, 2006 – Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc. (AMEX: BIO; BIOb) today announced plans to integrate MolSAR^TM (Molecular Structure Activity Relationships) molecular modeling technology into their KnowItAll^® Informatics System as part of a proposed collaborative agreement with the Division of Molecular and Health Technologies of Australia’s Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO).

MolSAR^TM technology uses Bayesian neural network technology to build in silico models for a wide range of end points such as ADME/Tox properties or biological activities, allowing users to build their own predictive models using in-house experimental data and reference datasets pertaining to ligand moieties.

“Since medicinal chemists often work on compounds pertaining to very specific chemical classes, ‘localized’ models that are built using in-house data can be an optimal solution,” said Bio-Rad’s Informatics Division Manager Marketing and Product Manager Omoshile Clement, Ph.D.  

Building models to predict the ADME/Tox profile of a drug compound is an area of increasing interest for drug discovery researchers due to the enormous potential of reducing discovery costs and time to market. Building models “in house” is of interest to pharmaceutical and biotech companies since it provides the ability to create custom models without the risk of disclosing proprietary information to a third party.

“The integration of CSIRO’s MolSAR^TM technology into our KnowItAll^® platform will offer a wider array of in silico solutions,” said Bio-Rad's Informatics Division General Manager Gregory M. Banik, Ph.D. “This partnership will mark a step forward in Bio-Rad’s commitment to helping pharmaceutical researchers more effectively employ in silico technologies earlier on in the drug discovery process.”

The KnowItAll^® platform includes over 30 different pre-built models that can be used to predict properties such as water solubility, plasma protein binding, bioavailability, metabolism, mutagenicity and more. Using in-house or proprietary datasets, the MolSAR^TM algorithm integrated within the KnowItAll^® platform will be able to be used to build, refine and/or optimize local models. The KnowItAll^® platform can also combine local and global models into a single framework, allowing expanded model usage across broader chemistries. 

"We are pleased to have an opportunity to share the benefits of this robust technology with drug discovery researchers around the world,” said Dr. David Winkler, lead developer of the MolSAR^TM technology at CSIRO.

About KnowItAll ADME/Tox Solutions

Bio-Rad's KnowItAll^® Informatics System for in silico ADME/Tox offers the broadest suite of tools for the computer-based prediction of a potential drug's ADME/Tox profile. It also provides algorithms to build and validate predictive models, experimental ADME/Tox data as well as integrated tools for chemical structure handling, data management and reporting.

Bio-Rad's Informatics Division

Bio-Rad's Informatics Division (www.informatics.bio-rad.com) specializes in state-of-the-art software and database solutions for the pharmaceutical, biotech and chemical industries. Bio-Rad is the leading publisher of fully verified spectral databases, cheminformatics, spectroscopy software and decision support systems for drug discovery. The company's award-winning KnowItAll^® Informatics System offers a fully integrated environment with flexible, expandable software and database solutions for spectroscopy, cheminformatics, in silico ADME/Tox prediction and lead optimization.

Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc. (www.bio-rad.com) is a multinational manufacturer and distributor of life science research products and clinical diagnostics. Based in Hercules, California, Bio-Rad serves more than 70,000 research and industry customers worldwide through a network of more than 30 wholly owned subsidiary offices.

About CSIRO

CSIRO (www.csiro.au) is Australia's Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation. As one of the world's largest and most diverse scientific global research organizations, its work touches every aspect of Australian life: from the molecules that build life to the molecules in space. Working from sites across the nation and around the globe, the organization’s 6,500 member staff is focused on providing new ways to improve the quality of life as well as the economic and social performance of a number of industry sectors through research and development including: agribusiness, energy and transport, environment and natural resources, health, information/communication and services, manufacturing and mineral resources.

Various statements made within this press release may constitute "forward-looking statements" for purposes of the Securities and Exchange Commission's "safe harbor" provisions under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and Rule 3b-6 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. The forward-looking statements contained herein involve risks and uncertainties that could cause results to differ materially from the Company's expectations.

For more information contact:

Deborah Kernan, Marketing Communications Manager

Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc.

Phone: +1 (215) 349-7366

Email: Deborah_Kernan@bio-rad.com

Dr. Paul Savage, Program Leader

CSIRO Molecular and Health Technologies

Phone: + 61 (0)3 9545 2523

Email:  Paul.Savage@csiro.au