Seattle - September 13, 2005 - The GeneSifter microarray data analysis system has achieved the distinction of "GeneChip-compatible," due to its special platform features designed for customers of microarray industry leader Affymetrix, Inc. (Nasdaq: AFFX). GeneSifter recently won the 2005 Frost & Sullivan Product Innovation award for enabling scientists using GeneChip® arrays to pursue their research faster and more efficiently than previously possible. Financial details were not disclosed.

The agreement between Seattle-based VizX Labs, the maker of GeneSifter, and Affymetrix, which resulted in GeneSifter acquiring GeneChip-compatible status, includes co-marketing provisions as well as licensing of GeneSifter, other software and intellectual property. The agreement is intended to provide both VizX and Affymetrix with tools to more capably utilize and promote each other's products through Web sites, sales and scientific channels. "GeneSifter is ideal for most scientists using GeneChip arrays, who comprise the vast majority of microarray users," noted VizX Labs CEO Tom Ranken. "We are very pleased to continue to develop our relationship with Affymetrix in order to leverage that company's leadership and help their customers accelerate their research."

"GeneSifter's impressive and continued focus on maintaining seamless integration with our Affymetrix GeneChip platform made it a clear choice for the 'GeneChip-compatible' program we are launching," agreed Mike Lelivelt, PhD, Senior Manager of Informatics Applications at Affymetrix. "Affymetrix is dedicated to providing our customers with more effective and innovative software solutions," added Steve Lincoln, Vice President of Informatics at Affymetrix. "That's why we are engaged with leading bioinformatics software companies such as VizX."

VizX Labs' Director of Science N. Eric Olson, Ph.D., explained that his company had made an early commitment to Affymetrix: "We decided in late 2003 to place our bets on Affymetrix, as we noticed growing adoption, acceptance and highly effective employment of their platform by biomedical researchers using GeneSifter. That choice has paid off for our customers, because now GeneSifter makes it easier for researchers to load Affymetrix data, to access the annotation resources curated by Affymetrix, and to capitalize on specific Affymetrix features such as probe-level analysis."

The agreement includes:

• A license to use Affymetrix' "GeneChip-compatible" logo for use in promoting GeneSifter.
• Placement of GeneSifter in the new Affymetrix GeneChip-compatible Software Solution catalog dedicated to helping the Affymetrix customer base select the right informatics tool for their needs.
• A worldwide license of GeneSifter to Affymetrix scientists for use in their research collaborations, plus use of GeneSifter and resulting data in publications and presentations.
• Availability of GeneSifter training for Affymetrix scientists, sales force and applications specialists.
• Affymetrix development software and technical support for GeneSifter software engineers, including GCOS client/desktop, GCOS server, GDAS and other applications as needed to ensure that GeneSifter evolves in pace with the Affymetrix platform.

• Support for Affymetrix native CHP files, as well as TXT output
• Support for Affymetrix native CEL files
• Direct linking to NetAffx™ annotation from GeneSifter's One-Click Gene Summary™
• Search by Affymetrix probe set ID
• GeneChip-specific help and support
• Upload tools for GEO Affymetrix data
• Filter on Detection Calls
• RMA normalization method
• GC-RMA normalization method

About VizX Labs
VizX Labs' GeneSifter software helps life scientists Understand the Biology™ revealed through data from microarray experiments. Featured in Wired News and Nature Methods, selected as a Northwest Venture All-Star company and named by Bio-IT World as one of six "bioinformatics youngbloods" remaking that field, VizX was listed by Washington CEO as one of the state's top 25 biotechnology and biomedical companies. To view the VizX Labs newsroom, please visit www.vizxlabs.com/newsroom.html.

About the Affymetrix Developers Network (ADN)
Through one of the largest third-party software developer communities within the life science industry, Affymetrix works with its partners to provide a broad spectrum of solutions for leveraging gene expression and genetic variation analysis in both biomedical research and development. Membership in ADN is free of charge for both commercial and academic software developers. For more information please visit www.affymetrix.com/genechip/developer. Visit the GeneChip-compatible Software Solutions Catalog at www.affymetrix.com/genechip/compatible.

About Affymetrix
Affymetrix scientists invented the world's first microarray in 1989 and began selling the first commercial microarray in 1994. Since then, Affymetrix GeneChip technology has become the industry standard in molecular biology research. Affymetrix technology is used by the world's top pharmaceutical, diagnostic and biotechnology companies as well as leading academic, government and not-for-profit research institutes. More than 1,200 systems have been shipped around the world and more than 3,000 peer-reviewed papers have been published using the technology. Affymetrix' patented photolithographic manufacturing process provides the most information capacity available today on an array, enabling researchers to use a whole-genome approach to analyze the relationship between genetics and health. Headquartered in Santa Clara, Calif., Affymetrix has subsidiaries in Europe and Asia in addition to manufacturing facilities in Sacramento, Calif. and Bedford, Mass. The company has about 900 employees worldwide. For more information about Affymetrix, please visit the company's website at www.Affymetrix.com.