Abcam Limited is a producer, distributor and seller of protein research tools operating worldwide from 13 locations with 1,800 employees of which 400 work in Research and Development (R&D). Abcam was listed on the

Nasdaq The Nasdaq Stock Market (; National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations) is an American stock exchange based in New York City. It is the most active stock trading venue in the U.S. by volume, and ranked second on the list ...

and the

London Stock Exchange The London Stock Exchange (LSE) is a stock exchange based in London, England. the total market value of all companies trading on the LSE stood at US$3.42 trillion. Its current premises are situated in Paternoster Square close to St Paul's Cath ...

until it was acquired by

Danaher Corporation Danaher Corporation is an American global conglomerate founded in 1984 by brothers Steven and Mitchell Rales. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the company designs, manufactures, and markets medical, industrial, and commercial products and ...

in 2023.

History

The company was founded in 1998 by Jonathan Milner with co-founders professor Tony Kouzarides and David Cleevely, with the idea of making it easier for research scientists to buy antibodies across the web. Milner was a

postdoctoral research A postdoctoral fellow, postdoctoral researcher, or simply postdoc, is a person professionally conducting research after the completion of their doctoral studies (typically a PhD). Postdocs most commonly, but not always, have a temporary acade ...

er studying the newly discovered breast cancer protein

BRCA2 ''BRCA2'' and BRCA2 () are human genes and their protein products, respectively. The official symbol (BRCA2, italic for the gene, nonitalic for the protein) and the official name (originally breast cancer 2; currently BRCA2, DNA repair associate ...

in Kouzarides'

Cambridge University The University of Cambridge is a Public university, public collegiate university, collegiate research university in Cambridge, England. Founded in 1209, the University of Cambridge is the List of oldest universities in continuous operation, wo ...

laboratory. The project had slowed because of problems finding quality antibody reagents that had honest and up-to-date information about their uses and limitations. This scenario provided the motivation to form an on-line service that would help themselves and researchers across the globe. Since its inception in 1998, the company has diversified from carrying only antibodies. It supplies antibody related products such as immunoassays (e.g. SimpleStep ELISA Kits), peptides, proteins and protein detection products (e.g. immunohistochemistry (IHC) staining kits). Abcam also has a portfolio of non-antibody related products such as biochemicals, cellular assays, and epigenetics kits (e.g. FirePlex Multiplex miRNA Kits). On 28 August 2023,

announced that it had entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Abcam for approximately $5.7 billion at $24 per share in cash. The acquisition was completed on December 6.

Acquisitions

In May 2011, Abcam announced the acquisition of MitoSciences, a privately held biotech company based in Eugene, Oregon (US). The company produced and distributed

immunoassay An immunoassay (IA) is a biochemical test that measures the presence or concentration of a macromolecule or a small molecule in a solution through the use of an antibody (usually) or an antigen (sometimes). The molecule detected by the immunoassay ...

platforms and high performance monoclonal antibodies. It was founded in 2004 with the mission of advancing mitochondrial research and developing products that support critical research in cancer,

neurodegeneration A neurodegenerative disease is caused by the progressive loss of neurons, in the process known as neurodegeneration. Neuronal damage may also ultimately result in their cell death, death. Neurodegenerative diseases include amyotrophic lateral sc ...

, and

metabolic disorders A metabolic disorder is a disorder that negatively alters the body's processing and distribution of macronutrients, such as proteins, fats, and carbohydrates. Metabolic disorders can happen when abnormal chemical reactions in the body alter the ...

. On 12 September 2011, Abcam completed the purchase of Ascent Scientific. Ascent Scientific was a company based in Bristol, United Kingdom that provided high-quality biochemical products that modulate the function of proteins for use in life science research. After outsourcing biochemical production, the Bristol site and manufacturing facilities were closed in 2017. On 19 April 2012, Abcam completed the purchase of Epitomics. Epitomics was a privately held biotech company in Burlingame, California (US) and Hangzhou (China) that focused on the development, production, and distribution of rabbit

monoclonal antibodies A monoclonal antibody (mAb, more rarely called moAb) is an antibody produced from a Lineage (evolution), cell lineage made by cloning a unique white blood cell. All subsequent antibodies derived this way trace back to a unique parent cell. Mon ...

for biomedical research and diagnostic applications. On 20 January 2015, Abcam announced the acquisition of Firefly BioWorks, a privately held company based in Cambridge, Massachusetts (US), for . Firefly developed a novel multiplex assay platform for the detection of

biomarker In biomedical contexts, a biomarker, or biological marker, is a measurable indicator of some biological state or condition. Biomarkers are often measured and evaluated using blood, urine, or soft tissues to examine normal biological processes, ...

s, based on a microfabrication technology developed by Daniel Pregibon and Patrick Doyle at

Massachusetts Institute of Technology The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a Private university, private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Established in 1861, MIT has played a significant role in the development of many areas of moder ...

, and launched its first products for the multiplex detection of

microRNA Micro ribonucleic acid (microRNA, miRNA, μRNA) are small, single-stranded, non-coding RNA molecules containing 21–23 nucleotides. Found in plants, animals, and even some viruses, miRNAs are involved in RNA silencing and post-transcr ...

from RNA and crude biofluid. Firefly was rebranded to FirePlex in 2016. On 11 November 2015, Abcam announced the acquisition of AxioMx. AxioMx, based in Branford, Connecticut (US), "provides a comprehensive custom recombinant antibody discovery and development services platform". Abcam acquired Calico Biolabs in January 2019. A year later, on 6 January 2020, Abcam announces the successful acquisition of Expedeon's Proteomics and Immunology business, which includes Innova and TGR Biosciences. On 4 March 2020, Abcam extend their assay and labelling capabilities by acquiring Marker Gene Technologies for an undisclosed amount. The acquisition of Marker Gene Technologies bring expertise in the areas of biology, organic synthesis and fluorescence chemistry. The team from MGT are experienced in the creation of detection tools that enable enhanced understanding of biological processes.

References

External links

* {{Authority control Biotechnology companies of the United Kingdom Companies based in Cambridge Companies formerly listed on the Alternative Investment Market Biotechnology companies established in 1998 1998 establishments in England 2023 mergers and acquisitions Companies formerly listed on the Nasdaq Danaher subsidiaries