Applied DNA Sciences Expands SigNature T Cotton Tagging With Launch of Fully-Automated DNA Transfer Systems in Arkansas, California and Texas Gins

STONY BROOK, NY--(Marketwired - October 11, 2016) - Applied DNA Sciences (Applied DNA), Inc. (NASDAQ: APDN), a provider of DNA-based supply chain, anti-counterfeiting, authentication, genotyping and anti-theft technologies, today announced it is expanding the use of its proprietary, SigNature^® T DNA technology to cotton gins in Arkansas, California and Texas, with the launch of its fully automated DNA Transfer Systems. The new systems are equipped with real-time monitoring, security and data capture, ensuring efficient and consistent DNA tagging of cotton fibers during ginning.

"We worked in collaboration with our cotton team, including the growers, ginners, and our merchant, Louis Dreyfus, to prepare and install our technology for both pima and upland cotton for this month's harvest," said Brian Viscount, director of product development at Applied DNA Sciences. "The fully automated systems will be used in tandem with our real-time, SigNify^® On-Site DNA verification systems, establishing authenticity and integrity at the beginning of the cotton supply chain."

The new DNA Transfer Systems are designed to handle higher volumes of SigNature T tagging, including the previously announced increase of 50 million lbs of HomeGrown™ Lonestar and 10 million lbs of HomeGrown Acala upland cottons. Gins trained and certified in SigNature T will apply the technology for the October harvest. For traceability from "source to shelf," upland cotton can be used to produce home textiles such as towels and rugs.

"We provide certainty to a very complex textile supply chain," said Dr. James Hayward, president and CEO of Applied DNA. "We offer an end-to-end platform that enables users to stay one step ahead. In just one DNA tagging campaign, entire companies and countries can be certain that their reputations for quality, integrity, and sustainability are preserved, from the source all the way to the shelf."

Track-and-trace continues through the supply chain, with fiber, yarn and fabric sample genotyping and SigNature T DNA tagging and authentication managed through the digitalDNA^® textiles portal. A forensic and data-driven approach for assuring quality and label compliance will continue to reduce reliance on paper documentation, which often is not sufficient to prove origin or to substantiate label claims. In the end, retailers, manufacturers and consumers will now know that the final product comes from the same cotton that left the gin at the beginning of the supply chain.

About Applied DNA Sciences

We make life real and safe by providing botanical-DNA based security and authentication solutions and services that can help protect products, brands, entire supply chains, and intellectual property of companies, governments and consumers from theft, counterfeiting, fraud and diversion. Our patented DNA-based solutions can be used to identify, tag, track, and trace products, to help assure authenticity, traceability and quality of products. SigNature^® DNA describes the platform ingredient that is at the heart of a family of uncopyable, security and authentication solutions such as SigNature^® T and fiberTyping^®, targeted toward textiles and apparel, DNAnet^®, for anti-theft and loss prevention, and digitalDNA^®, providing powerful track and trace. All provide a forensic chain of evidence, and can be used to prosecute perpetrators. We are also engaged in the large-scale production of specific DNA sequences using the polymerase chain reaction.

Go to adnas.com for more information, events and to learn more about how Applied DNA Sciences makes life real and safe. Common stock listed on NASDAQ under the symbol APDN, and warrants are listed under the symbol APDNW.

Forward-Looking Statements

The statements made by APDN in this press release may be "forward-looking" in nature within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements describe APDN's future plans, projections, strategies and expectations, and are based on assumptions and involve a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the control of APDN. Actual results could differ materially from those projected due to our short operating history, limited financial resources, limited market acceptance, market competition and various other factors detailed from time to time in APDN's SEC reports and filings, including our Annual Report on Form 10-K filed on December 14, 2015, and our subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q filed on February 10, 2016, May 12, 2016 and August 11, 2016 which are available at www.sec.gov. APDN undertakes no obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statements to reflect new information, events or circumstances after the date hereof to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events, unless otherwise required by law.