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MLL Munich Leukemia Laboratory Uses Fluidigm Access Array™ Technology to Help Identify Mutations in Leukemia

Fluidigm Corporation (NASDAQ:FLDM) today announced that MLL Munich Leukemia Laboratory (www.mll.com) has used the company’s Access Array™ technology to help it uncover mutations in over 80 percent of chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML) patients, providing new insights into the molecular heterogeneity of the disease. MLL researchers applied the unique properties of the Fluidigm Access Array System to prepare the samples and barcode the amplicons for next-generation deep-sequencing using 454 sequencing technology.

In a Letter to the Editor entitled “Molecular profiling of chronic myelomonocytic leukemia reveals diverse mutations in >80% of patients with TET2 and EZH2 being of high prognostic relevance” published in the February 22, 2011 issue of Nature LEUKEMIA (www.nature.com/leu) magazine, researchers found mutations in 81.5 percent of CMML patients providing new insights into the molecular heterogeneity of leukemia. Researchers found that besides alterations in TET2, CBL, ASXL1 and the RAS pathway, EZH2 is targeted by various types of frameshift and point mutations. EZH2 mutations constitute a novel poor prognostic risk group and, moreover, had the strongest clinical impact of all markers analyzed thus far. Therefore, researchers suggest that EZH2 mutational status should be taken into account in future clinical studies of CMML.

“Fluidigm’s Access Array System was used to prepare the samples into a total of 1782 bar-coded amplicons in a fast, easy process. Being able to automate this type of procedure with Fluidigm’s microfluidic technology provides researchers with the ability to make large, in-depth studies possible, practical and affordable,” said Gajus Worthington, Fluidigm president and CEO. “We’re excited and gratified that Fluidigm technology could help MLL with their discovery and hope it can lead to new ways to understand and treat leukemia.”

About Fluidigm

Fluidigm (NASDAQ:FLDM) develops, manufactures and markets microfluidic systems for growth markets in the life science and agricultural biotechnology, or Ag-Bio, industries. Fluidigm’s proprietary microfluidic systems consist of instruments and consumables, including chips and reagents. These systems are designed to significantly simplify experimental workflow, increase throughput and reduce costs, while providing the excellent data quality demanded by customers. Fluidigm actively markets three microfluidic systems including eight different commercial chips to leading pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, academic institutions and Ag-Bio companies.

For more information, please visit www.fluidigm.com.

Fluidigm, the Fluidigm logo, BioMark, Access Array, Dynamic Array, Digital Array, FC1, Topaz, and NanoFlex are trademarks or registered trademarks of Fluidigm Corporation

Cautionary Note About Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains "forward-looking" statements within the meaning of federal securities laws. Forward-looking statements include, among others, statements concerning or implying the performance attributes of Fluidigm’s products and their ability to contribute to the effectiveness or cost of research studies. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that may cause actual results to be materially different from any future results expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. Fluidigm’s business, revenues, and operating results are and will be subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, including (among others) risks relating to market acceptance of our products, the potential for quarterly variations in our operating results, our ability to successfully launch new products and applications, competition in our primary markets, variability in our sales cycle, our need to expand our sales, marketing, and distribution capabilities, costs associated with our planned sales and research and development activities, risks associated with international operations, and our ability to attract and retain technical support personnel. In addition to these risks and uncertainties, investors should review the risks and uncertainties contained in Fluidigm’s filings with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, including risks and uncertainties identified in our registration statement on Form S-1 as declared effective on February 9, 2011.

Contacts:

Fluidigm Corp.
Howard High
650-266-6081 (office)
510-786-7378 (mobile)
howard.high@fluidigm.com

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