**EXHIBIT 31.2**

**CERTIFICATION OF PRINCIPAL FINANCIAL OFFICER**

**PURSUANT TO EXCHANGE ACT RULE 13a-14(a)/15d-14(a),**

**AS ADOPTED PURSUANT TO SECTION 302 OF**

**THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002**

I, Dennis L. Winger, certify that:

| 1. | I have reviewed this quarterly report on Form 10-Q of Applera Corporation; |
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| 2. | Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report; |
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| 3. | Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this report; |
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| 4. | The registrant’s other certifying officer(s) and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) and internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f)) for the registrant and have: |
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|   | (a) | Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared; |
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|   | (b) | Designed        such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal        control over financial reporting to be designed under our supervision,        to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial        reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes        in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles; |
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|   | (c) | Evaluated        the effectiveness of the registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures        and presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of        the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered        by this report based on such evaluation; and |
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|   | (d) | Disclosed        in this report any change in the registrant’s internal control over        financial reporting that occurred during the registrant’s most recent        fiscal quarter (the registrant’s fourth fiscal quarter in the case        of an annual report) that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely        to materially affect, the registrant’s internal control over financial        reporting; and |
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| 5. | The registrant’s other certifying officer(s) and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to the registrant’s auditors and the audit committee of the registrant’s board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions): |
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|   | (a) | All        significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation        of internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely        to adversely affect the registrant’s ability to record, process,        summarize and report financial information; and |
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|   | (b) | Any        fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees        who have a significant role in the registrant’s internal control        over financial reporting. |
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Date: May 9, 2006

 

|        |   |   | /s/ Dennis L. Winger                                            |
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Chief Financial Officer

 

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