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Fremont, CA - WaferGen Biosystems, Inc., a developer of state-of-the-art gene expression, genotyping, cell biology and stem cell research systems, announced the signing of exclusive distribution agreements for the company's SmartSlide Micro-Incubation System with Bucher Biotec AG in Switzerland, Unimed Healthcare Inc. in Taiwan and AH diagnostics AS in the Nordic region (Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Finland). The distributor agreements cover WaferGen's entire family of SmartSlide Micro-Incubation System products. Bucher Biotec, Unimed Healthcare and AH diagnostics are each leading distributors of innovative products and services to cell biologists and stem cell researchers in the life science markets within their geographic areas of focus.

WaferGen's SmartSlide Micro-Incubation System is a first-of-its-kind family of integrated fluidics exchange micro-incubation products that work seamlessly with inverted microscopes. This breakthrough technology is enabling cell biology and stem cell researchers to conduct complex time lapse imaging studies to characterize, differentiate and proliferate cells, as well as grow stem, primary and other difficult to cultivate cells in consistently optimal physiological conditions. These innovative capabilities will allow researchers to pursue cutting-edge research topics that are not addressable with existing technology. For example, the SmartSlide 200 Micro-Incubation System allows researchers to precisely control and vary oxygen, carbon dioxide and nitrogen parameters in order to create anoxia and hypoxia conditions which are critical for growth and differentiation of stem cells.

"These key distributor agreements represent yet another important milestone in our strategic efforts to expand the reach of our SmartSlide Micro-Incubation System into new key foreign markets," stated Alnoor Shivji, WaferGen's chairman and chief executive officer. "This innovative platform is already providing critical performance advantages to researchers in several valuable international markets through our existing distributor agreements in Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Australia, Singapore and the Benelux. In keeping with this strategy, we expect to continue to build our SmartSlide Micro-Incubation System customer base with additional international distributor agreements this year."

About the SmartSlide Micro-Incubation System
WaferGen has developed and is currently marketing the SmartSlide Micro- Incubation System, a first-of-its-kind family of integrated fluidics exchange micro-incubation products that work seamlessly with inverted microscopes. This breakthrough technology is enabling cell biology and stem cell researchers to conduct complex time lapse imaging studies to characterize, differentiate and proliferate cells, as well as grow stem, primary and other difficult to cultivate cells in consistently optimal physiological conditions. These innovative capabilities will allow researchers to pursue cutting-edge research topics that are not addressable with existing technology. For example, the SmartSlide 200 Micro-Incubation System allows researchers to precisely control and vary oxygen, carbon dioxide and nitrogen parameters in order to create anoxia and hypoxia conditions which are critical for growth and differentiation of stem cells.

The core element of the SmartSlide Micro-Incubation System is the compact, sterile and disposable SmartSlide-6 Micro-Incubator which is designed to maintain cells at specific physiological conditions for prolonged cell or tissue imaging. The SmartSlide-6 Micro-Incubator allows for programmable fluidics exchanging, enabling the delivery of up to six nutrient media and gas into each of its six individual wells in both intermittent and continuous perfusion modes.

WaferGen has developed a family of SmartSlide Micro-Incubation System products built upon the SmartSlide-6 Micro-Incubator that offers cell biology and stem cell researchers varying levels of control over specific environmental conditions such as nutrient flow, temperature, humidity, gas and pH. Each of these SmartSlide Micro-Incubation System products incorporates easy-to-use graphical interface software that allows for complete walk-away automation. The SmartSlide Micro-Incubation System family of products consists of four currently marketed products: SmartSlide 50 Micro-Incubation System, SmartSlide 100 Micro-Incubation System, SmartSlide 150 Micro- Incubation System, and SmartSlide 200 Micro-Incubation System.

Since the launch of its SmartSlide Micro-Incubation System in late 2006, WaferGen has seen a positive response from many leading research institutions and organizations. The company's current SmartSlide Micro-Incubation System customers include Harvard University, Mayo Clinic, California Institute of Technology (CalTech), Abbott Labs, and the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

About WaferGen
WaferGen Biosystems Inc. is a leader in the development, manufacture and sale of state-of-the-art systems for gene expression, genotyping, cell biology and stem cell research for the life science and pharmaceutical industries. The company is actively developing its SmartChip product for the gene expression and genotyping markets. SmartChip is being developed as the first whole genome, high throughput gene expression real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) platform and promises to deliver significant speed and cost advantages to researchers in the gene expression and genotyping markets. WaferGen currently markets its SmartSlide family of products to companies and organizations involved in stem cell and cell biology research. SmartSlide, which was launched in 2006, represents the first fluidics integrated micro-incubators enabling cell biology and stem cell research. Representative SmartSlide customers include Harvard University, Mayo Clinic, California Institute of Technology (CalTech), Abbott Labs, and the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

SOURCE: WaferGen Biosystems, Inc.