ABC.L Regulatory News (ABC)

For Immediate Release

24 December 2010

TR-1: NOTIFICATION OF MAJOR INTEREST IN SHARESi

1. Identity of the issuer or the underlying issuerof existing shares to which voting rights areattached: ii

Abcam Plc

2 Reason for the notification (please tick the appropriate box or boxes):

An acquisition or disposal of voting rights

Yes

An acquisition or disposal of qualifying financial instruments which may result in the acquisition of shares already issued to which voting rights are attached

No

An acquisition or disposal of instruments with similar economic effect to qualifying financial instruments

No

An event changing the breakdown of voting rights

No

Other (please specify):

No

3. Full name of person(s) subject to thenotification obligation: iii

Global AEGON Asset Management Group

4. Full name of shareholder(s)  (if different from 3.):iv

5. Date of the transaction and date onwhich the threshold is crossed orreached: v

21st December 2010

6. Date on which issuer notified:

23rd December 2010

7. Threshold(s) that is/are crossed orreached: vi, vii

5%

8. Notified details:

A: Voting rights attached to shares viii, ix

Class/type ofshares

if possible usingthe ISIN CODE

Situation previousto the triggeringtransaction

Resulting situation after the triggering transaction

NumberofShares

NumberofVotingRights

Numberof shares

Number of votingrights

% of voting rights x

Direct

Direct xi

Indirect xii

Direct

Indirect

GB00B6774699

9,377,647

9,377,647

8,343,415

8,343,415

480,131

4.62%

0.27%

B: Qualifying Financial Instruments

Resulting situation after the triggering transaction

Type of financialinstrument

Expirationdate xiii

Exercise/Conversion Period xiv

Number of votingrights that may beacquired if theinstrument isexercised/ converted.

% of votingrights

C: Financial Instruments with similar economic effect to Qualifying Financial Instruments xv, xvi

Resulting situation after the triggering transaction

Type of financialinstrument

Exercise price

Expiration date xvii

Exercise/Conversion period xviii

Number of voting rights instrument refers to

% of voting rights xix, xx

Contract for Difference

n/a

n/a

n/a

23,950

Nominal

Delta

0.01%

1

Total (A+B+C)

Number of voting rights

Percentage of voting rights

8,847,496

4.90%

9. Chain of controlled undertakings through which the voting rights and/or thefinancial instruments are effectively held, if applicable: xxi

Global AEGON Asset Management group "AAM" -

AEGON Asset Management Holding BV

AEGON Asset Management UK Holdings Ltd

AEGON Asset Management UK plc

AEGON Investment Management UK ltdAEGON ICVC

Proxy Voting:

10. Name of the proxy holder:

Global AEGON Asset Management Group

11. Number of voting rights proxy holder will ceaseto hold:

530,151

12. Date on which proxy holder will cease to holdvoting rights:

21 December 2010

13. Additional information:

14. Contact name:

Ryan Smith

15. Contact telephone number:

0131 549 6275

Note: Annex should only be submitted to the FSA not the issuer

Annex: Notification of major interests in share

A: Identity of the persons or legal entity subject to the notification obligation

Full name

(including legal form of legal entities)

AEGON Asset Management UK plc

Contact address

(registered office for legal entities)

AEGON House,

3 Lochside Avenue,

Edinburgh Park,

Edinburgh,

EH12 9SA

Phone number & email

0870 60 90 101

Other useful information

(at least legal representative for legal persons)

David Elston, Company secretary,

0131 549 3205

B: Identity of the notifier, if applicable

Full name

Ryan Smith

Contact address

AEGON House,

3 Lochside Avenue,

Edinburgh Park,

Edinburgh,

EH12 9SA

Phone number & email

0131 549 6275

ryan.smith@aegon.co.uk

Other useful information

(e.g. functional relationship with the person or legal entity subject to the notification obligation)

C: Additional information

For notes on how to complete form TR-1 please see the FSA website.