ESSENTIAL MARKET-LEADING PRODUCTS AND SERVICES
It is no secret that 2003 was a difficult year for the biotechnology industry. Growth dwindled and research slowed. Thereasons for this slowdown are numerous, but for us the lesson is clear: Invitrogen must constantly deliver impactful innovations to stimulate new demand even in the face of a difficult economic environment. In late 2003, we took important steps to do just that. We recruited Dr. Claude Benchimol to the position of Senior Vice President of Research and Development and promoted Daryl Faulkner to Senior Vice President of Business Segment Management. Together, this executive team is charged with creating multi-generational product plans and developing the scientific horsepower to bring them to fruition. We are elevating our R&D spending to 10% of sales to fuel continuous innovation and create higher awareness and demand for what we do. We’re primed for the future. However, let me now tell you about three innovations launched in 2003 that contributed significantly to the Invitrogen Operating System: the ZOOM® Benchtop Proteomics™ System, the BLOCK-iT™ RNAi family of products, and the GeneBLAzer™ Technology.

The ZOOM Benchtop Proteomics System is a unique method for protein profiling — an important technique for analyzing the proteins encoded by the genes in the human genome. It enables researchers to perform two-dimensional (2D) electrophoresis in less than a day, compared to a few days or even a week with other systems. Most important, the compact design and affordability of the ZOOM Benchtop Proteomics System allows any researcher to perform sensitive protein profiling studies — a true change agent in the field of proteomics.

The BLOCK-iT RNAi suite advances the understanding of genes and proteins by providing a platform to study the effects of “turning off” a gene. This enables scientists to observe a cell’s behavior in the absence of the targeted gene’s protein product. This outcome may lead to a better understanding of disease mechanisms and, eventually, better therapies. We believe RNAi is an important new area of life science research that will yield some of the most important advances in drug discovery in the coming years. It is our goal to make Invitrogen a leader in RNAi so that we can drive those advancements.

Our GeneBLAzer Technology allows researchers to study gene regulation, in
a different way than RNAi, by enabling researchers to visualize when a gene is “turned on.” In drug discovery, the knowledge gained by understanding when a gene is activated helps illuminate disease pathways and mechanisms. The power of GeneBLAzer Technology is in its ease of use. Cells change color from green to blue when the gene under study has been transcribed, or “turned on.” This makes it simple for researchers to study gene regulation accurately in live cells — a technique that has historically been difficult.

These innovations offer a straightforward solution to complex research problems. This is why Invitrogen products are embraced by scientists worldwide and are considered essential laboratory tools. These represent just a few of the myriad products launched this year. With our expanding investment in R&D, we anticipate many more.