英國(guó)Abcam www.abcam.com www.abcam.cn
Abcam的名字來(lái)自antibody和the University of Cambridge的綜合，abcam初期的主要成功來(lái)自 Chromatin antibodies , loading control antibodies and GFP antibodies 。后來(lái)，由于越來(lái)越多的人加入和風(fēng)險(xiǎn)投資的支持，abcam得到了迅速的發(fā)展。至今，abcam可以提供上萬(wàn)種高質(zhì)量的抗體。Abcam不僅提供全面人性 化的在線電子目錄，而且提供用戶(hù)使用這些抗體的心得體會(huì)。
Abcam公司位于英國(guó)的劍橋科學(xué)園,成立于1998年. 公司的愿景是提供優(yōu)質(zhì)的產(chǎn)品,更完善的客戶(hù)服務(wù),幫助科研人員快速地找到研究所需要的最好抗體. 公司在網(wǎng)站內(nèi)設(shè)立了在線電子目錄,客戶(hù)數(shù)秒內(nèi)就能找到所需產(chǎn)品.幾年來(lái),公司向世界各地的五十多個(gè)國(guó)家提供了上萬(wàn)種產(chǎn)品.公司秉持的三大理念使成千上萬(wàn)的 科研者把Abcam作為自己的首選,那就是提供充分的信息支持,免費(fèi)的技術(shù)幫助和快速的物流配送. 該公司提供多種第一抗體，可應(yīng)用于包括染色質(zhì)、神經(jīng)科學(xué)、DNA損傷和修復(fù)等廣闊的研究領(lǐng)域，還有抗13個(gè)不同物種的全面的第二抗體，幫助選擇你所需要的 熒光標(biāo)記物。公司的輔產(chǎn)品包括全系列的溶菌液、載片組織。該網(wǎng)站提供包括產(chǎn)品目錄、購(gòu)物籃、職業(yè)和資源等在內(nèi)的相關(guān)信息。
Abcam的概念萌芽于英國(guó)劍橋的一個(gè)實(shí)驗(yàn)室里。一九九八年, 主要?jiǎng)?chuàng)立人Jonathan Milner在Tony Kouzarides教授的實(shí)驗(yàn)室當(dāng)博士后, 研究當(dāng)時(shí)新發(fā)現(xiàn)的乳腺癌蛋白BRCA2。但因?yàn)檎也坏劫|(zhì)量高及附有可靠、詳細(xì)、最新資料的抗體,令這項(xiàng)研究工作受到阻延 。就在大家正感到沮喪之時(shí), Jonathan和實(shí)驗(yàn)室同事提出一個(gè)構(gòu)思: 成立一間了解科學(xué)研究人員需要的網(wǎng)上抗體銷(xiāo)售公司。Tony更將antibody(ab) 和Cambridge(Cam) 兩個(gè)英文字合拼, 將公司取名為Abcam。
他們當(dāng)時(shí)的理念是Abcam銷(xiāo)售質(zhì)量高的抗體,并提供最全面、誠(chéng)實(shí)、時(shí)新的說(shuō)明書(shū), 快速的送貨服務(wù),及高效率的顧客和技術(shù)支持服務(wù)。
很幸運(yùn)地, 這個(gè)構(gòu)思得到電信企業(yè)家David Cleevely的支持及注資。一九九八年的夏天, Jonathan離開(kāi)學(xué)術(shù)研究界, 憑著再抵押自已的房子的錢(qián), 及從家人朋友和David Cleevely得來(lái)的資金, 全職發(fā)展Abcam, Jonathan形容此決定為他最冒險(xiǎn)的決定。 Abcam終于成立, 但當(dāng)時(shí)公司仍然須要籌集更大量的資金來(lái)建立網(wǎng)站及增加Abcam 抗體的生產(chǎn)量。因此Abcam成立初年, 公司董事們不斷四出向風(fēng)險(xiǎn)資本推銷(xiāo)公司的理念及游說(shuō)他們注資。
由于當(dāng)時(shí)Abcam的前景很暗淡, Abcam很須要在短時(shí)間內(nèi)做出銷(xiāo)售額來(lái), 于是Jonathan便拿著一個(gè)放滿(mǎn)Abcam抗體的冰桶,親身到劍橋大學(xué)的實(shí)驗(yàn), 向朋友及同事推銷(xiāo)。幸好,他們對(duì)Abcam的抗體很支持, 紛紛購(gòu)買(mǎi)。Abcam的抗體銷(xiāo)售傳奇就由這一個(gè)微不顯眼的冰桶開(kāi)始!
到了千禧年, Abcam出現(xiàn)兩個(gè)突破, 令公司業(yè)務(wù)起飛。
第一個(gè)突破是Abcam得到了劍橋本地商業(yè)天使群體支持及注資; 第二個(gè)突破是Abcam開(kāi)始招募一些擁有共同理念的科學(xué)家及有才華的精英們加入, 形成現(xiàn)在管理層的雛型。Abcam這個(gè)成功的發(fā)展,有賴(lài)于我們堅(jiān)定的信念, 深信我們的商業(yè)計(jì)劃是可建立一間既能對(duì)自然科學(xué)研究有所供獻(xiàn),又能賺錢(qián)的公司。 有很多科學(xué)研究員曾問(wèn)莫莉羊的構(gòu)思是從那里來(lái)的。其實(shí)很簡(jiǎn)單,因?yàn)榭寺⊙蚨嗬虍?dāng)時(shí)成了矚目的新聞標(biāo)題,因此我們就用分子空問(wèn)填充模型作為身體,用抗體作為 腿,而這個(gè)分子多莉羊就成了莫莉羊!
The idea for Abcam came early in 1998 out of a laboratory in the University of Cambridge, UK. The principal founder Jonathan Milner was working as a Post-Doctoral researcher studying the newly discovered breast cancer protein BRCA2 in Professor Tony Kouzarides' laboratory. The project slowed because of problems finding quality antibody reagents that had honest and up to date information about their uses and limitations. It was frustrating. It was then that Jonathan and a number of other people in the laboratory, came up with the idea for a web-based antibody company of like-minded scientists. Tony invented the name which is a hybrid of antibody (ab) and Cambridge (cam). The idea was that Abcam would sell the best antibodies in the world with the most comprehensive, honest and up-to-date datasheets, fast delivery and helpful customer service & technical support. It was a tough vision!
A lucky break came when Jonathan met and discussed the idea with Dr David Cleevely (a Cambridge telecoms entrepreneur) who was smart (or some said crazy!) enough to join him in the venture. So in the summer of 1998, Jonathan left the world of academia to work full-time on Abcam, which he describes as the scariest thing he has ever done. Initially Abcam had a small amount of money from David, family, friends and Jonathan (after re-mortgaging his house; he has a very understanding wife!), but they realized that they needed a big injection of capital to build a website to accomplish the vision and increase production of Abcam's own antibodies. A business plan was written and the Directors went out confidently to raise money from venture capitalists. However, the next couple of years were really tough as Abcam struggled to convince the VCs that a viable business could be built from such an idealistic vision.
Things were looking really bleak and Abcam needed to get some sales quickly, so Jonathan took an ice-bucket full of popular antibodies around the University of Cambridge laboratories in order to get friends and colleagues to buy them, which they did (thanks guys!). Hence the legend of Abcam's humble beginnings from an ice-bucket was born!
Our first notable successes arrived in the early part of the new millenium: Chromatin antibodies, loading control antibodies and GFP antibodies. Then we had two further lucky breaks. First, some local business angels (people from the Cambridge business community who wish to help technology businesses get started) were convinced to invest and second, some like-minded scientists and talented individuals were recruited (who form the basis of Abcam's management team today) and this succeeded in boot-strapping the company through those difficult times. Of course there was also tremendous determination to prove that those venture capitalists were wrong and that a successful profitable company, that would also make a valuable contribution to life science researchers, could be built on such a business plan.
A lot of researchers ask where we got the idea for Molly the sheep. It was simply because Dolly the sheep was making headline news at the time, so we created the body out of a molecular space fill model and gave her antibody legs, and thus the molecular Dolly became Abcam's Molly.