FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

AURORA^® BIOTECHNOLOGIES, INC. INTRODUCES A PATENTED MICROPLATE DESIGN USING ZEONOR^® CYCLO OLEFIN POLYMER AND ZEONORFILM^®

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (June 3, 2008) - A new, patented line of microplates constructed of ZEONOR^® cyclo olefin polymer (COP) and ZeonorFilm^® has been created for the life science research market. The plates, which use ZEONOR COP resin for the plate body and lid and ZeonorFilm for the plate bottom, is a collaboration between Aurora^® Biotechnologies, Inc., a leading manufacturer of discovery science microplates, and ZEON, the producer of ZEONOR.

COP has distinctive physical and chemical properties that are superior to polystyrene and polypropylene. Unlike conventional microplates, COP creates an ideal combination of optimal clarity, thermal stability, biocompatibility, low auto-fluorescence, flatness and chemical resistance.

"The use of COP has proven to enhance performance in many sensitive assays, and has worked very well for high-content imaging," states Peter Coassin, CTO, Aurora Biotechnologies. "Our new products address the demanding needs of the imaging and HCS scientists who require a high-performing imaging microplate with extraordinary flatness and optical clarity properties, at a price point superior to other comparable microplate options."

The ZEONOR-made microplate products offer distinct advantages in a vast variety of applications, including cellular assays, biochemical assays, compound storage, genomics and protein-protein interaction.

The chemical resistance, thermal stability and material hardness of COP allows for storage of compound concentrates at any temperature in the microplate and provides mechanical stability, resisting curvature or deformation by robotic-handling. The die-cut plate bottom offers a flat, uniform surface for adherence and growth. The clarity of the plates enables easy visibility of chemical in solution, as well as high light transmittance down to 240nm. Low native auto-fluorescence showcases better assay signal-to-noise performance and greater sensitivity, and there is no non-specific protein binding, making the untreated COP plate ideal for highly sensitive enzyme-based assays.

Microplate products from Aurora Biotechnologies are compatible with all platforms that are capable of handling 384 Low Volume, 384 Standard, 1536 and 3456 well plates. All plates conform to SBS and ANSI standards except where indicated, and are covered by multiple patents.

Aurora Biotechnologies holds several Patents and Patents pending detailing the construction and design of the microplates. This intellectual property is available for license from Aurora Biotechnologies.

For more information about ZEONOR COP resin or ZeonorFilm, visit www.zeonex.com or contact Toshiro Katayama at (502) 775-2000 or Zeonex@zeonchemicals.com. For more information on Aurora Biotechnologies’ microplates, visit www.aurorabiotechnologies.com or contact Charles Powell at (866) 975-2837 ext. 84, cpowell@aurorabiotechnologies.com.

About Aurora Biotechnologies, Inc.
Aurora Biotechnologies focuses on the development and commercialization of unique, high-quality microplate products and services, including its proven ChemLib™ and MaKO™ high-density microplates. For more information, visit Aurora Biotechnologies at http://www.aurorabiotechnologies.com.

About Zeon Chemicals L.P.
Zeon Chemicals L.P. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Zeon Corporation of Tokyo, Japan, a world leader in specialty elastomers, polymers and specialty chemicals. Zeon Corporation is one of the top producers of polymers in the world with plants in Asia, North America and Europe, and Research and Development laboratories in Kawasaki (Japan), Louisville (KY, USA) and Barry (UK).

Zeon Corporation, with combined sales of over $2.3 billion US, utilizes its expertise and basic position in C4 and C5 chemistry to offer a wide range of products. The company employs approximately 2,900 people worldwide.

Disclaimer
Please refer to ZEON's ZEONEX^® product brochure for product liability notes prior to commencing use of ZEONEX in medical applications.