CARLSBAD, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 23, 2007--More than 1,500 employees of Invitrogen Corporation (Nasdaq:IVGN) will trade their microscopes and lab coats for tools and work gloves on May 24 to participate in the company's fourth annual Global Volunteer Day. In one 24-hour period, Invitrogen employees are expected to log more than 7,500 volunteer hours to help the communities in which they live and work.

"This year marks Invitrogen's 20th anniversary, and our Global Volunteer Day is the perfect opportunity to honor our longstanding commitment to making a difference," said Greg Lucier, President and Chief Executive Officer of Invitrogen. "Whether through cleaning up an outdoor site, or acting as mentors to the youth in our communities, Invitrogen employees have dedicated thousands of hours of time to important causes. We strongly believe in improving the human condition, not just through research, but by giving back to our neighbors and our environment."

On Global Volunteer Day, Invitrogen, a provider of essential life science technologies for disease research and drug discovery, provides each of its 4,300 employees with five hours of paid time to participate in volunteer projects.

Kip Miller, honorary chairman of this year's event and Invitrogen Senior Vice President of Biodiscovery, added, "We have seen the popularity of this event grow tremendously, with a higher percentage of employees participating each subsequent year. The dedication and passion of Invitrogen employees in supporting this initiative has been incredible."

Employees will participate in the following projects:

Asia-Pacific Region:

-- China (Beijing, Guangzhou, Shanghai) - Collecting clothing and household goods for disadvantaged families; collecting waste in HaiZhu High-Tech Industrial Park; and sponsoring Special Olympics

-- India - Kids Days at the Ashraya Foundation

-- Japan - Cleaning recreation park near Invitrogen offices

-- New Zealand (Auckland) - Cleaning at the SPCA

-- Taiwan - Blood drive for the Blood Services Foundation

Americas Region:

-- Branford, Connecticut - Invasive plant removal at the Branford Land Trust

-- Browndeer, Wisconsin - Beautification project in conjunction with the Audubon Center

-- Camarillo, California - Building project with Habitat for Humanity

-- Carlsbad, California - Seven projects including an environmental education day at the Boys and Girls Club of Carlsbad, and habitat restoration at the Batiquitos and Agua Hediondas Lagoons

-- Canada - Coordinating a youth walk to raise funds for protection of the Great Lakes

-- Frederick, Maryland - Five projects including park maintenance at Gettysburg National Military Park and Catoctin Mountain National Park

-- Eugene, Oregon - Four projects including the building of a seed collection system with the Eugene Stream Team, Bureau of Land Management and the Nature Conservancy

-- Grand Island, New York - Five projects including cooking lunch for families at the Ronald McDonald House and the Golden Age Center

-- Madison, Wisconsin - Five projects including a local building project with Habitat for Humanity

Europe Region:

-- Belgium - Participating in tandem bike rides with the visually impaired

-- Denmark - Cleaning a children's park

-- France - Archiving documents for Association of Carriers of Chromosome Abnormalities

-- Germany - Painting a church youth club

-- Israel - Providing food and activities for children living near the former Israel-Lebanon war zone

-- Norway - Collecting and sorting clothes, toys and books for disadvantaged families in Romania

-- Spain - Taking a group of disadvantaged students ice skating

-- United Kingdom (England, Scotland) - Visiting residents of Erskine Hospital and clearing paths and gardening at Castle Semple

About Invitrogen

Invitrogen Corporation (Nasdaq:IVGN) provides products and services that support academic and government research institutions and pharmaceutical and biotech companies worldwide in their efforts to improve the human condition. The company provides essential life science technologies for disease research, drug discovery, and commercial bioproduction. Invitrogen's own research and development efforts are focused on breakthrough innovation in all major areas of biological discovery including functional genomics, proteomics, bioinformatics and cell biology -- placing Invitrogen's products in nearly every major laboratory in the world. Founded in 1987, Invitrogen is headquartered in Carlsbad, California, and conducts business in more than 70 countries around the world. The company is celebrating 20 years of accelerating scientific discovery. Invitrogen globally employs approximately 4,300 scientists and other professionals and had revenues of more than $1.15 billion in 2006. For more information, visit www.invitrogen.com.

Copyright Business Wire 2007

Invitrogen Corporation

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