USDA, Aviagen, Hendrix Genetics, and Affymetrix Launch Axiom® Turkey Genotyping Array for Improved Breeding Outcome

Affymetrix, Inc. (NASDAQ: AFFX) introduces Axiom® Turkey Genotyping Array, developed in collaboration with the United States Department of Agriculture – Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS) along with Aviagen and Hendrix Genetics. The array will help breeders better understand the genetics of turkeys in order to improve meat characteristics and health. It will enable scientists and breeders to quickly evaluate genetic markers that can be associated with improved traits such as health outcome and fertility. The genotyping array will also help the industry sustainably address the growing demands of consumers by reducing feed consumption and environmental footprint. Over 45 million turkeys will be served on Thanksgiving Day this year in the United States. This array is expected to help improve turkey populations broadly in the next few years.

The array development was led by Dr. Julie Long of the USDA-ARS Beltsville Agricultural Research Center under a public-private partnership with Hendrix Genetics, Aviagen, and Affymetrix. The Turkey Genome Sequencing Consortium led the efforts to sequence the turkey genome. The SNP marker discovery effort was led by Prof. Martien Groenen of the Animal Breeding and Genomics Centre at Wageningen University in the Netherlands, and was funded by USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture. The SNP markers on the turkey array were selected by Dr. Curt Van Tassell of the USDA-ARS Beltsville Agricultural Research Center. The commercial launch of the array by Affymetrix allows the entire avian and animal genetics community to benefit from the effort.

“The domestic turkey is an economically important source of meat for consumers in the United States,” stated Dr. Julie Long of USDA-ARS. “The research performed with this array will help advance the understanding of genetics in turkey, especially for traits that are difficult to predict such as disease resistance and fertility. Understanding turkey genetics requires evaluating large numbers of genetic markers with different sample types. We are excited about the prospect of having this array available for both research and enhancing genetic improvement of the domestic turkey.”

“Axiom Turkey Genotyping Array is a benefit to the global turkey industry and provides many opportunities and avenues for future research,” stated Dr. Alfons Koerhuis, chief technical officer for the Aviagen Group. “Aviagen is pleased to be a part of making it available for public use. This array is the latest output in a long ongoing collaboration between Aviagen and Affymetrix, paving the way for genomics selection research and implementation in Aviagen’s breeding programs.”

“We are pleased to support the goals of the turkey and avian research community to improve breeding stocks and address the broader goals of public institutions and private breeders, such as food security and disease resistance,” said Laurent Bellon, Ph.D., senior vice president and general manager, Genotyping Business Unit at Affymetrix. Affymetrix is committed to meeting the avian research and breeding community’s needs with advanced technologies that are practical, easy to use, and cost-effective.”

To learn more about the Axiom genotyping platform, please visit www.affymetrix.com/agrigenotyping for applications in agrigenomics.

About USDA-ARS

The Agricultural Research Service (ARS) is the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s chief scientific in-house research agency responsible for developing and transferring solutions to agricultural problems of high national priority. The ARS seeks to find solutions to agricultural problems that affect Americans every day, from the field to table.

The ARS mission is to conduct research to develop and transfer solutions to agricultural problems of high national priority and provide information access and dissemination to:

• ensure high-quality, safe food and other agricultural products
• assess the nutritional needs of Americans
• sustain a competitive agricultural economy
• enhance the natural resource base and the environment
• provide economic opportunities for rural citizens, communities, and society as a whole

The ARS has about 800 research projects within 18 National Programs, 2,200 scientists and post doctorates, 6,200 other employees and 90+ research locations, including overseas laboratories. ARS scientists frequently collaborate with research partners from universities, companies, other organizations, and other countries. In designing and organizing its research efforts, ARS listens and responds to those with a stake in the outcome. The ARS publishes AgResearch science magazine monthly in electronic format.

More information is available at http://www.ars.usda.gov/aboutus/aboutus.htm.

The magazine is available at http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/.

About Affymetrix

Affymetrix technologies enable multiplex and simultaneous analysis of biological systems at the cell, protein, and gene level, facilitating the rapid translation of benchtop research into clinical and routine use for human health and wellness. Affymetrix provides leadership and support, partnering with customers in pharmaceutical, diagnostic, and biotechnology companies, as well as leading academic, government, and nonprofit research institutes in their quest to use biology for a better world. More than 2,300 microarray systems have been shipped around the world and more than 94,000 peer-reviewed papers have been published citing Affymetrix technologies. Affymetrix is headquartered in Santa Clara, California, and has manufacturing facilities in Cleveland, San Diego, Vienna, and Singapore. Affymetrix has about 1,100 employees and maintains sales and distribution operations worldwide. For more information about Affymetrix, please visit www.affymetrix.com

Forward-looking statements

All statements in this press release that are not historical are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act as amended, including statements regarding Affymetrix' "expectations," "beliefs," "hopes," "intentions," "strategies," or the like. Such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially for Affymetrix from those projected. These and other risk factors are discussed in Affymetrix' Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2014, and other SEC reports for subsequent quarterly periods.

PLEASE NOTE: Affymetrix, the Affymetrix logo, and Axiom trademarks are the property of Affymetrix, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

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