QIAGEN and GENEART Partner to Commercialize Syn...

Joint development and collaboration enables enhanced production of
every human protein, spurring advances in drug development


Venlo, The Netherlands --- May 14, 2008 - QIAGEN (Nasdaq: QGEN;
Frankfurt, Prime Standard: QIA) and GENEART (Frankfurt, Entry
Standard, G6A) announced their collaboration to develop, produce and
commercialize a new product line for the enhanced production of all
35,000 human proteins. QIAgenes is the world's first comprehensive
set of plasmids (small extra-chromosomal DNA molecules in bacteria)
which serve as carriers ("vectors") for modified ("optimized")
synthetic genes mapping the entire human genome. By using the
QIAgenes set of plasmids and optimized genes for synthetic protein
production in bacteria, academic and biomedical researchers, as well
as biotech and pharmaceutical companies can more easily produce large
amounts of proteins which play key roles in diseases such as cancer
and their treatment. This new product line enables researchers to
facilitate the development of new therapeutics and vaccines and
accelerates future drug screening processes.

QIAgenes will be available starting May 19, 2008, through QIAGEN's
web portal GeneGlobe, which already hosts the world's largest
database of gene regulation and gene expression assays. The addition
of synthetic genes is a synergistic extension of this offering, as
the use of synthetic genes often follows the use of such assays. As
part of the collaboration, additional variants of the synthetic
genes, which are currently designed for E. coli bacteria only, are
subject to future development.

The collaboration between QIAGEN and GENEART was initiated with a
joint research and development project, for which GENEART provided
plasmid and gene synthesis technologies and QIAGEN supplied automated
sample technologies to purify the expressed proteins. In this first
of a series of ongoing collaboration projects, scientists from both
companies compared optimized and normal gene sequences of 100
different proteins from the five most common protein classes, thereby
generating the most comprehensive validation study of its kind. The
trial showed that QIAgenes solutions achieved very high success rates
of more than 90% and yielded up to 50 times more protein than
conventional methods using "normal" genes by providing optimized
synthetic genes and purification methods.

"In the past, researchers faced a multiple bottleneck situation when
producing protein in sufficient quantity and quality for their
research. This often slowed down research on a protein's structure
and function or its pharmaceutical use", said Dr. Kai te Kaat, Global
Business Director Protein for QIAGEN. "The first hurdle was to obtain
an accurate high quality plasmid construct of any gene of choice, and
second to produce the protein in sufficient amounts in bacteria. With
the new QIAgenes product portfolio provided on QIAGEN's web portal
geneglobe.com, our customers can now access the human proteome with a
simple mouse click and significantly increase their successes
expressing and purifying their protein of choice", Dr. te Kaat added.
"The collaboration with GENEART, the market leader for gene
optimization and gene synthesis, will further advance protein
analysis and adds significant new capabilities to and links between
QIAGEN's assay and proteomics portfolios."

"It is a great pleasure for us to join forces with the world's
premium provider for sample and assay technologies," said Prof. Ralf
Wagner, CEO of GENEART. "QIAGEN's leading technological and market
capabilities in the DNA and RNA business, the global strength of its
sales force as well as its logistic expertise make QIAGEN the best
conceivable partner for commercialization of the next generation of
expression plasmids encoding optimized human genes." The market for
synthetic DNA is currently estimated to be approximately US$ 80-100
million in revenues and to be growing by at least 30% per year.

About QIAGEN:
QIAGEN N.V., a Netherlands holding company, is the
leading global provider of sample and assay technologies. Sample
technologies are used to isolate and process DNA, RNA and proteins
from biological samples such as blood or tissue. Assay technologies
are used to make such isolated biomolecules visible. QIAGEN has
developed and markets more than 500 consumable products as well as
automated solutions for such consumables. The company provides its
products to molecular diagnostics laboratories, academic researchers,
pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, and applied
testing customers for purposes such as forensics, animal or food
testing and pharmaceutical process control. QIAGEN's assay
technologies include one of the broadest panels of molecular
diagnostic tests available worldwide. This panel includes the only
FDA-approved test for human papillomavirus (HPV), the primary cause
of cervical cancer. QIAGEN employs more than 2,700 people in over 30
locations worldwide. Further information about QIAGEN can be found at
www.qiagen.com.

About Geneart:
In 2000, GENEART entered the gene synthesis market and has since
become the global market leader. Today, the company is one of the
leading specialists in the synthetic biology field. Experts at
GENEART provide key technologies for the development and production
of new therapeutics and vaccines. Customers also take advantage of
GENEART services to customize enzyme attributes, such as the
attributes of enzymes used as detergent additives, and to construct
bacteria, which produce complex biopolymers or break down polymers,
such as synthetics, petroleum components, etc. Our production and
service spectrum spans a wide range, from the production of synthetic
genes according to DIN EN ISO 9001-2000, to the creation of gene
libraries in the combinatorial biology, to the development and
production of DNA-based biologically active substances. The GENEART
AG in Regensburg (Germany) and the subsidiary GENEART Inc. in Toronto
(Canada) employ more than 190 people. Since May 2006, GENEART is
listed on the German Stock Exchange.


Certain of the statements contained in this news release may be
considered forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section
27A of the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E
of the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. To the
extent that any of the statements contained herein relating to
QIAGEN's products, markets, strategy or operating results are
forward-looking, such statements are based on current expectations
that involve a number of uncertainties and risks. Such uncertainties
and risks include, but are not limited to, risks associated with
management of growth and international operations (including the
effects of currency fluctuations and risks of dependency on
logistics), variability of operating results, the commercial
development of the applied testing markets, clinical research markets
and proteomics markets, women's health/HPV testing markets, nucleic
acid-based molecular diagnostics market, and genetic vaccination and
gene therapy markets, changing relationships with customers,
suppliers and strategic partners, competition, rapid or unexpected
changes in technologies, fluctuations in demand for QIAGEN's,
products (including fluctuations due to the level and timing of
customers' funding, budgets, and other factors), our ability to
obtain regulatory approval of our infectious disease panels,
difficulties in successfully adapting QIAGEN's products to integrated
solutions and producing such products, the ability of QIAGEN to
identify and develop new products and to differentiate its products
from competitors' products, market acceptance of QIAGEN's new
products and the integration of acquired technologies and businesses.
For further information, refer to the discussions in reports that
QIAGEN has filed with, or furnished to, the U.S. Securities and
Exchange Commission (SEC).


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Contacts:


Dr. Thomas Theuringer                     Dr. Solveigh Mähler
Associate Director Public                 Director Investor Relations
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