U.S. Scientist Receives Otto Warburg Medal Spon...

Embargoed until 4 p.m. CET/ 11 a.m. EST today.

Susan Lindquist Recognized for Contributing to Molecular
Understanding of Parkinson's Disease

Mosbach, Germany, Mar. 27, 2008 - American scientist Susan Lindquist,
Ph.D., was awarded today the Otto Warburg Medal in Mosbach, Germany.
The medal is considered the most prestigious German award for
biochemists and molecular biologists, and is awarded by the German
Association of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (GBM). Seven
recipients of the Otto Warburg Medal have subsequently received the
Nobel Prize. This year's prize was sponsored by QIAGEN.

Dr. Lindquist is member of the Whitehead Institute, professor of
biology at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and
investigator at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. The award
recognized her research into the field of protein folding, allowing a
greater understanding of serious diseases like Parkinson's. "I am
very proud to receive the Otto Warburg Medal of the GBM. I also
appreciate QIAGEN's commitment to furthering research in biochemistry
and molecular biology by sponsoring this prize," said Dr. Lindquist.

Proteins are essential components of all organisms and participate in
every process within cells. Susan Lindquist has dedicated her
research to these biomolecules, particularly to how they manage to
build their shape - a process called protein folding. One of her
important findings is that a dysfunction in the folding of the
molecules' three-dimensional structure can have profound influence on
the development of human diseases such as Alzheimer's and
Parkinson's. Lindquist and colleagues have developed yeast strains
that serve as living test tubes in which these disorders can be
studied, revealing the role of protein folding. For instance, she has
succeeded in reproducing many of the biological consequences of
Parkinson's in yeast cells and her team is screening for drugs to
prevent and treat the disease.

Lindquist's wide-ranging investigations in protein folding also have
included prions - the so-called small proteinaceous infectious
particles. Prions are proteins that can change into a
self-perpetuating infective form. They have become well-known in the
last decades as the cause of the mad cow and Creutzfeldt-Jakob
disease. Lindquist investigated how prions form and then trigger
these diseases.

"Susan Lindquist's findings in the field of protein folding are
groundbreaking," said Prof. Alfred Wittinghofer, President of the
GBM. "It is only because of her outstanding research that we
understand today many human and animal diseases such as mad cow
disease. If one day these severe diseases can be cured, Susan's
research will have been a crucial contributing factor."

Dr. Birgit Jostes, Senior Global Director Corporate Marketing and
Strategy at QIAGEN, said: "It is an honor for us to be able
to contribute to the success of internationally recognized scientists
through the sponsorship of the Otto Warburg Medal. Through our
innovative sampling and testing technologies, it is QIAGEN's mission
to contribute to the success of our customers as they pioneer
discoveries such as Susan Lindquist's. Those findings serve as the
basis for the development of effective therapies against most
challenging diseases."

Find out more about the Otto Warburg Medal at
www.otto-warburg-medaille.org.

About the Otto Warburg Medal:
The Otto Warburg Medal has been awarded by the German Society for
Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (GBM) since 1963. It honors
scientists who have made first-class, internationally recognized
contributions in the fields of biochemistry and molecular biology.
The focus is on outstanding personalities who enjoy an excellent
reputation extending far beyond their specialist field and beyond
their particular country of origin. The Otto Warburg Medal is
regarded as the highest award for biochemists and molecular
biologists in Germany. For those honored, this scientific distinction
is usually not their last: seven of the previous prize-winners went
on to receive a Nobel prize.The Medal has been endowed with prize
money of 25,000 euros since 2007, sponsored exclusively by QIAGEN.
Further information about the Medal and awardees can be found at
www.otto-warburg-medaille.org.

About GBM:
The German Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (GBM) is
the largest professional association for the life sciences in
Germany. With its almost 5,500 members, it is committed to serving
the interests of all those working and researching in the dynamic and
promising disciplines of chemistry, medicine and biology - from
professors to first-year students. Whether it is the German Research
Foundation, journalists, the authorities, or professional
associations in other disciplines: anyone needing to call on
expertise in questions of biochemistry and molecular biological
sciences turns first and foremost to the GBM. Further information
about GBM can be found at www.gbm-online.de.

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 2,600 people in over 30
locations worldwide. Further information about QIAGEN can be found at
www.qiagen.com.

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