Rule 8.1- (Trace Group PLC)

Microgen PLC
15 June 2007


                                                                  FORM 8.1

          DEALINGS BY OFFERORS, OFFEREE COMPANIES OR THEIR ASSOCIATES
                  FOR THEMSELVES OR FOR DISCRETIONARY CLIENTS
                 (Rules 8.1(a) and (b)(i) of the Takeover Code)



1. KEY INFORMATION

+-----------------------------------+------------------------------------------+
|Name of person dealing (Note 1)    |MICROGEN PLC                              |
+-----------------------------------+------------------------------------------+
|Company dealt in                   |TRACE GROUP PLC                           |
+-----------------------------------+------------------------------------------+
|Class of relevant security to which|ORDINARY 5 pence SHARES                   |
|the dealings being disclosed relate|                                          |
|(Note 2)                           |                                          |
|                                   |                                          |
+-----------------------------------+------------------------------------------+
|Date of dealing                    |15 JUNE 2007                              |
|                                   |                                          |
+-----------------------------------+------------------------------------------+

2. INTERESTS, SHORT POSITIONS AND RIGHTS TO SUBSCRIBE


(a) Interests and short positions (following dealing) in the class of relevant
security dealt in (Note 3)

+-----------------------------------+-------------------------+----------------+
|                                   |          Long           |      Short     |
|                                   |                         |                |
+-----------------------------------+-------------------------+----------------+
|                                   |Number             (%)   |Number      (%) |
|                                   |                         |                |
+-----------------------------------+-------------------------+----------------+
|(1) Relevant securities            |3,680,000        25.83%  |                |
|                                   |                         |                |
+-----------------------------------+-------------------------+----------------+
|(2) Derivatives (other than        |                         |                |
|options)                           |                         |                |
+-----------------------------------+-------------------------+----------------+
|(3) Options and agreements to      |                         |                |
|purchase/sell                      |                         |                |
|                                   |                         |                |
+-----------------------------------+-------------------------+----------------+
|Total                              |3,680,000         25.83% |                |
|                                   |                         |                |
+-----------------------------------+-------------------------+----------------+

(b) Interests and short positions in relevant securities of the company, other
than the class dealt in (Note 3)

+-----------------------------------+-------------------------+----------------+
|Class of relevant security:        |          Long           |        Short   |
|                                   |                         |                |
|                                   |                         |                |
+-----------------------------------+-------------------------+----------------+
|                                   |Number              (%)  |Number      (%) |
|                                   |                         |                |
+-----------------------------------+-------------------------+----------------+
|(1) Relevant securities            |                         |                |
|                                   |                         |                |
+-----------------------------------+-------------------------+----------------+
|(2) Derivatives (other than        |                         |                |
|options)                           |                         |                |
|                                   |                         |                
|+-----------------------------------+-------------------------+---------------+
|(3) Options and agreements to      |                         |                |
|purchase/sell                      |                         |                |
|                                   |                         |                |
+-----------------------------------+-------------------------+----------------+
|Total                              |                         |                |
|                                   |                         |                |
+-----------------------------------+-------------------------+----------------+

(c) Rights to subscribe (Note 3)

+-----------------------------------+------------------------------------------+
|Class of relevant security:        |Details                                   |
|                                   |                                          |
+-----------------------------------+------------------------------------------+
|                                   |                                          |
|                                   |                                          |
+-----------------------------------+------------------------------------------+

3. DEALINGS (Note 4)

(a) Purchases and sales

+-----------------------------+----------------------------+-------------------+
|Purchase/sale                |Number of securities        |Price per unit     |
|                             |                            |(Note 5)           |
|                             |                            |                   |
+-----------------------------+----------------------------+-------------------+
|PURCHASE                     |125,000                     |176.0 pence        |
|                             |                            |                   |
+-----------------------------+----------------------------+-------------------+

(b) Derivatives transactions (other than options)

+----------------+-------------------+---------------------------+-------------+
|Product name,   |Long/short (Note 6)|Number of securities       |Price pert   |
|e.g. CFD        |                   |(Note  7)                  |unit (Note 5)|
|        |                   |                           |                     |
+----------------+-------------------+---------------------------+-------------+
|                |                   |                           |             |
+----------------+-------------------+---------------------------+-------------+

(c) Options transactions in respect of existing securities

(i) Writing, selling, purchasing or varying

+-------------+-------------+---------------+--------+----------+------+-------+
|Product      |Writing,     |Number of      |Exercise|Type, e.g.|Expiry|Option 
|name, e.g.   |selling,     |securities     |price   |American, |      |money  |
|call option  |purchasing,  |to which the   |        |European  |date  |paid/  |
|             |varying etc. |option relates |        |etc.      |      |received
|             |             |(Note 7)       |        |          |      |per    |
|             |             |               |        |          |      |unit   |
|             |             |               |        |          |      |(Note 5)   
--------------+-------------+---------------+--------+----------+------+-------+

(ii) Exercising

+-----------------------------+----------------------------+-------------------+
|Product name, e.g. call      |Number of securities        |Exercise price per |
|option                       |                            |unit (Note 5)      |
+-----------------------------+----------------------------+-------------------+
|                             |                            |                   |
+-----------------------------+----------------------------+-------------------+

(d) Other dealings (including new securities) (Note 4)

+-----------------------------+----------------------------+-------------------+
|Nature of transaction (Note  |Details                     |Price per unit (if)|
|8)                           |                            |applicable (Note 5)|
|                             |                            |                   |
+-----------------------------+----------------------------+-------------------+
|                             |                            |                   |
|                             |                            |                   |
+-----------------------------+----------------------------+-------------------+

4. OTHER INFORMATION

Agreements, arrangements or understandings relating to options or derivatives

+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
|Full details of any agreement, arrangement or understanding between the person|
|disclosing and any other person relating to the voting rights of any relevant |
|securities under any option referred to on this form or relating to the voting|
|rights or future acquisition or disposal of any relevant securities to which  |
|any derivative referred to on this form is referenced. If none, this should be|
| stated.                                                                      |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
|                                                                              |
|NONE                                                                          |
|                                                                              |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

Is a Supplemental Form 8 attached? (Note 9) NO

+--------------------------------------------------+---------------------------+
|Date of disclosure                                |15 JUNE 2007               |
|                                                  |                           |
+--------------------------------------------------+---------------------------+
|Contact name                                      |PHILIP WOOD                |
|                                                  |                           |
+--------------------------------------------------+---------------------------+
|Telephone number                                  |01252 772 300              |
|                                                  |                           |
+--------------------------------------------------+---------------------------+
|Name of offeree/offeror with which associated     |N/A                        |
+--------------------------------------------------+---------------------------+
|Specify category and nature of associate status   |N/A                        |
|(Note 10)                                         |                           |
|                                                  |                           |
+--------------------------------------------------+---------------------------+

Notes

The Notes on Form 8.1 can be viewed on the Takeover Panel's website at
www.thetakeoverpanel.org.uk




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