HAYWARD, Calif. and Cambridge, U.K. (February 2, 2006) – Solexa, Inc. (Nasdaq: SLXA) today announced that the European Patent Office has granted the company a key patent covering the use of single molecules for DNA analysis. This granted patent, EP1105529B1, further strengthens Solexa’s intellectual property (IP) portfolio, which consists of some of the earliest and most fundamental patents and applications addressing the use of both single molecules and amplified colonies of single molecules for genetic analysis applications, including DNA sequencing and gene expression analysis.

“The granting of this patent reinforces Solexa’s leadership position in the field of single molecule DNA analysis,” stated John West, chief executive officer of Solexa. “While today we are focused on commercializing our Clonal Single Molecule Array™ technology, our growing IP estate around the use of single molecules for DNA analysis provides us with the core technologies to develop and commercialize a system based on non-amplified single molecules.  Additionally, we are positioned to protect our technology assets and to enter into strategic licensing in non-competitive fields.”

EP1105529B1 covers devices comprising arrays of single molecules, including polynucleotides; methods for producing the devices; and their subsequent use.  An example would be in DNA sequencing and analysis. The patent claims cover any device where fluorophores are detected using optical microscopy by virtue of being attached to planar surfaces as single discrete entities.

Solexa has been investigating and developing technologies around the use of single molecules for DNA analysis since 1998, and the company’s efforts in the area have yielded numerous filed and granted patents. The company’s internally generated IP has been further strengthened by the acquisition of important external IP, among which are some of the earliest granted patents related to both amplified and non-amplified single molecule arrays.  Some of these patents predate the company’s internal efforts.

 ENDS

About Solexa

Solexa, Inc. is developing and preparing to commercialize the Solexa Genome Analysis System, which will be used to perform a range of analyses including whole genome resequencing, gene expression analysis and small-RNA analysis. Solexa expects its first-generation instrument, the 1G Genome Analyzer, to generate over a billion bases of DNA sequence per run and to enable whole genome resequencing below $100,000 per sample, making it the first platform to reach this important milestone. Solexa's longer-term goal is to reduce the cost of human re-sequencing to a few thousand dollars for use in a wide range of applications from basic research through clinical diagnostics. For further information, please visit www.solexa.com. 

This press release contains "forward-looking" statements, including statements related to the current views of Solexa management as to intellectual property matters, future products, product development and commercialization of the Company’s novel genetic analysis technology, and the expansion and success of Solexa's commercial application of its genomics technologies.  Any statements contained in this press release that are not statements of historical fact may be deemed to be forward-looking statements. Words such as "believes," "anticipates," "plans," "predicts," "expects," "envisions," "hopes," "estimates," "intends," "will," "continue," "may," "potential," "should," "confident," "could" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. There can be no assurance that such expectations of any of the forward-looking statements will prove to be correct, and actual results could differ materially from those projected or assumed in the forward-looking statements. There are a number of important factors that could cause the results of Solexa to differ materially from those indicated by these forward-looking statements including, among others, risks detailed from time to time in the Company's SEC reports, including its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2004, its Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2005 and its registration statement on Form S-3 filed with the SEC on January 27, 2006. Solexa does not undertake any obligation to update forward-looking statements.

For more information, please contact:  

Solexa, Inc.   

Omead Ostadan, Vice President of Marketing

(510) 670-9300

oostadan@solexa.com 

European Media Contact:

Northbank Communications

Sue Charles, CEO

+44 (0)20 7886 8152

s.charles@northbankcommunications.com    

Investor Contacts: 

Lippert/Heilshorn & Associates

Jody Cain (jcain@lhai.com)

Mariann Ohanesian (mohanesian@lhai.com)

310/691-7100 

U.S. Media Contact:

Chenoa Taitt (ctaitt@lhai.com)

212/838-3777