BIOMATRICAS PCRboost ENABLES 5-FOLD IMPROVEMENT IN AMPLIFICATION OF DIFFICULT SAMPLES


SAN DIEGO, CALIF. March 12, 2008 - Biomatrica, the leader in room temperature
biological sample stabilization, announced the introduction of PCRboost, a reagent that
enhances PCR and RT-PCR performance 5-fold or more by improving sensitivity and
specificity during amplification of genomic DNA or RNA templates.

PCRboost makes it easy for scientists to amplify templates that are traditionally difficult to
amplify and present in limited quantities. At the same time the number of cycles and
amount of polymerase used are reduced, resulting in significant time and cost savings.

With PCRboost, I obtained at least a 5-fold increase in the amplification of formalin-fixed
paraffin embedded (FFPE) cervical cancer tissue samples compared to using water in a
standard master mix, said Mina Kalantari, Ph.D., University of California, Irvine.I start out
with very small amounts of degraded DNA and then perform bi-sulfite modification for DNA
methylation analysis, which leads to further degradation. Using PCRboost, I am now able
to see bands that were invisible without it.

PCRboost greatly improves the amplification of difficult samples, enhancing the yield,
specificity and consistency of the final product. There are no changes needed to existing
PCR and RT-PCR protocols - researchers simply replace the water in the reaction with

PCRboost. Amplification is drastically improved for all samples including trace samples
(≤1 ng), degraded samples, low copy transcripts, multiplexing (i.e., STR analysis) and
samples containing inhibitory factors.

PCRboost is very easy to use - you just add the reagent instead of water to your reaction
mixture. I love the outcome! states Kalantari.

PCRboost is currently available in three formats: a Trial Kit, containing 150 μl of
PCRboost; a 1 ml tube; and a 10 ml bottle. All three sizes are available for purchase at
www.biomatrica.com.

About Biomatrica, Inc.
Biomatrica (www.biomatrica.com) is a San Diego-based biostability company that provides
innovative technologies for stabilizing, processing, storing and shipping biological samples
at room temperature. The core technology is designed for use in preserving complex
biological samples and assays and is based on the principles of anhydrobiosis (life
without water), a natural mechanism that allows multicellular organisms to survive
extreme environments. Biomatricas current products stabilize DNA and RNA with no
sample degradation, thus labs can reduce their reliance on freezers and drastically reduce
shipping costs. Biomatrica products are used in laboratories performing life science
research, from pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies to academic research and
forensics laboratories. Custom services to stabilize additional sample types are also
available. Biomatrica also offers SampleWare software, an easy-to-use, customizable
laboratory management database that provides scientists with the means to store and
organize their sample data, and directly supports samples stabilized by Biomatrica
technology.