- Initial Statement of Beneficial Ownership (3)

FORM 3	UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, D.C. 20549 INITIAL STATEMENT OF BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP OF SECURITIES	OMB APPROVAL OMB Number: 3235-0104 Expires: November 30, 2011 Estimated average burden hours per response... 0.5
	Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, Section 17(a) of the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935 or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940

1. Name and Address of Reporting Person ^*

HANSEN BRIAN B

2. Date of Event Requiring Statement (MM/DD/YYYY) 2/8/2012

3. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol

GEN PROBE INC [GPRO]

(Last) (First) (Middle)

C/O GEN-PROBE INCORPORATED, 10210 GENETIC CENTER DRIVE

4. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer (Check all applicable)

_____ Director _____ 10% Owner
___ X ___ Officer (give title below) _____ Other (specify below)
SVP, Global Sales & Service /

(Street)

SAN DIEGO, CA 92121

(City) (State) (Zip)

5. If Amendment, Date Original Filed (MM/DD/YYYY)

6. Individual or Joint/Group Filing (Check Applicable Line)

_ X _ Form filed by One Reporting Person
___ Form filed by More than One Reporting Person

Table I - Non-Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned
1.Title of Security (Instr. 4)	2. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned (Instr. 4)	3. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 5)	4. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 5)
Common stock	8189	D

*Table II - Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned ( e.g.* , puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)**
1. Title of Derivate Security (Instr. 4)	2. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date (MM/DD/YYYY)		3. Title and Amount of Securities Underlying Derivative Security (Instr. 4)		4. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security	5. Ownership Form of Derivative Security: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 5)	6. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 5)
1. Title of Derivate Security (Instr. 4)	Date Exercisable	Expiration Date	Title	Amount or Number of Shares	4. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security		6. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 5)
Stock Option (Right to Buy)	⁽¹⁾	1/3/2016	Common Stock	9350	$48.79	D
Stock Option (Right to Buy)	⁽¹⁾	8/15/2014	Common Stock	16000	$60.82	D
Stock Option (Right to Buy)	⁽²⁾	8/15/2015	Common Stock	13000	$60.15	D
Stock Option (Right to Buy)	⁽³⁾	8/17/2016	Common Stock	7350	$38.51	D
Stock Option (Right to Buy)	⁽⁴⁾	2/10/2017	Common Stock	16313	$42.66	D
Stock Option (Right to Buy)	⁽⁵⁾	2/10/2018	Common Stock	9563	$63.80	D
Stock Option (Right to Buy)	⁽⁶⁾	2/22/2018	Common Stock	3188	$62.50	D
Performance Stock Rights	⁽⁷⁾	2/10/2014	Common Stock	1629	⁽⁷⁾	D
Performance Stock Rights	⁽⁷⁾	2/22/2014	Common Stock	543	⁽⁷⁾	D

Explanation of Responses:
( 1)	Fully vested and exercisable.
( 2)	Grant is partially vested and exercisable. 25% of the shares of common stock originally subject to the stock option vested on August 15, 2009, and the remaining shares vest in equal monthly installments over the following three years.
( 3)	Grant is partially vested and exercisable. 25% of the shares of common stock originally subject to the stock option vested on August 17, 2010, and the remaining shares vest in equal monthly installments over the following three years.
( 4)	Grant is partially vested and exercisable. 25% of the shares of common stock originally subject to the stock option vested on February 10, 2011, and the remaining shares vest in equal monthly installments over the following three years.
( 5)	Grant is partially vested and exercisable. 25% of the shares of common stock originally subject to the stock option vested on February 10, 2012, and the remaining shares vest in equal monthly installments over the following three years.
( 6)	25% of the shares of common stock subject to the stock option vest on February 22, 2012, and the remaining shares vest in equal monthly installments over the following three years.
( 7)	The amount reported reflects the target number of shares of Issuer common stock that may be issued to the Reporting Person based on the Issuer's adjusted relative stockholder return over a three-year performance period commencing on January 1, 2011. Shares subject to performance stock rights vest and may be issued to the Reporting Person as follows: one-third of the shares vest and may be issued to the Reporting Person on each of the first anniversary, second anniversary and third anniversary of the performance stock right grant date, so long as the Reporting Person is employed by the Issuer on each such date. Based on actual achievement, the Reporting Person may receive between 0% and 200% of the target number of shares of Issuer common stock reported herein.

Reporting Owners
Reporting Owner Name / Address	Relationships
Reporting Owner Name / Address	Director	10% Owner	Officer	Other
HANSEN BRIAN B C/O GEN-PROBE INCORPORATED 10210 GENETIC CENTER DRIVE SAN DIEGO, CA 92121			SVP, Global Sales & Service

Signatures
/s/ R. William Bowen, Attorney-in-Fact		2/16/2012
^** Signature of Reporting Person		Date

Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly.
*	If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 5(b)(v).
**	Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal Criminal Violations. See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).
Note:	File three copies of this Form, one of which must be manually signed. If space is insufficient, see Instruction 6 for procedure.
Persons who respond to the collection of information contained in this form are not required to respond unless the form displays a currently valid OMB control number.