SAN LEANDRO, California—June 5, 2001—MDL Information Systems, Inc., the recognized leader in discovery informatics for the life sciences and chemistry in industry and academia, has released Apex 1.0, an integrated plate management system. Apex allows researchers to manage the high volume of data associated with test plates and samples used in biological screens. Apex is the latest in a series of products from MDL designed to integrate biological research workflows and the larger discovery process.

Modern screening techniques present scientists with logistical and informational challenges. Apex provides an electronic means to catalogue, sort, and retrieve detailed information about plates and samples, including their locations, how they have been used, and the chemical properties of compounds. Adaptive features enable organizations to customize fields for their needs. Researchers can use Apex to import plate and sample information; create plates of any size, including single point and titration; reformat plates, including dithering 96-well to 384-well plates or 384-well to 1536-well plates; and conduct complex queries. Apex tracks the number of freeze/thaw cycles a plate has undergone so researchers can accurately monitor the expiration of samples, and it ensures precise inventory records by automatically decrementing sample volumes when destination plates are created.

"Apex will be an invaluable tool for plate management in laboratories, said MDL Vice President of Marketing Phil McHale, D. Phil. "But its significance extends beyond logistical support. Apex, along with other MDL biology products, completes an integration of the discovery process, facilitating workflow and enabling scientists to redirect efforts from laboratory operations to critical research questions."

Apex is part of a suite of integrated tools from MDL for biology experiment management. From creating and tracking plates with Apex, through capturing, analyzing, and visualizing experimental results with Assay Explorer, to reporting results with the soon to be released Assay Explorer Report Manager, and recording biological data alongside chemical data in ChemBio, MDL products enable organizations to efficiently utilize information and manage biological research in an environment that bridges the chemical and biological disciplines.

MDL Information Systems ("MDL") is the recognized leader in discovery informatics for the life sciences and chemistry in industry and academia. MDL software, content, and services provide the enterprise-wide discovery informatics framework for comprehensive and successful discovery research. We are an international business headquartered in San Leandro, CA, with offices worldwide. MDL Information Systems, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Elsevier Science, Inc. For more information, visit www.mdli.com.