Molecular and Genetic Toxicology Testing

Toxikon is one of the few laboratories offering a comprehensive array of testing in genetic toxicology, cell culture assays, and molecular toxicology.

A partial list of our testing capabilities in this category include:

Bacterial Mutation Assays
AMES Reverse Mutation Assay

• Plate incorporation method
• Pre incubation method

High Throughput AMES Screening Assays
(for pharmaceutical and biotech products)

Mammalian Mutation Assay
In Vitro Mammalian Cell Gene Mutation Assays

• Mouse Lymphoma Assays using L5178Y TK + / -  Cell Line
• Chinese Hamster Ovary (CHO) HGPRT Assay

In Vivo Mammalian Cell Gene Mutation Assays

• Big Blue™ Mutation Assay Systems (transgenic mice or rats screened for lac1 or C11 mutant frequency)

Mammalian Cytogenetics Assays
In Vitro Cytogenetics Assays

• Chromosome Aberrations in Chinese Hamster Ovary (CHO) Cells
• Chromosome Aberrations in Human Peripheral Blood Lymphocytes
• In Vitro Micronucleus Assay in CHO Cells

In Vivo Cytogenetics Assays
Micronucleus Assays

• Mouse
• Rat

Metaphase Chromosome Aberration

• Mouse Bone Marrow Cells
• Mouse Germ Cells
• Rat Bone Marrow Cells
• Rat Germ Cells

In Vivo Assays for the Detection of Point Mutations and Chromosome Aberrations
Dominant Lethal Assay

• Mouse
• Rat

Sperm Head Abnormal Morphologies

• Mouse
• Rat

DNA Damage and DNA Repair Assays

• In Vitro Unscheduled DNA Synthesis
• In Vivo Unscheduled DNA Synthesis
• In Vitro Sister Chromatid Exchange
• In Vivo Sister Chromatid Exchange
• Comet Assay

PCR - Based Studies
PCR for Detection of Viral Contaminants

• Q-PCR for toxicant - induced alterations of gene expressions
• Q-PCR for evaluation of biodistribution of nucleic acid following gene therapy

Apoptosis

• In situ detection of toxicant - induced apoptosis by TUNEL method

Cell Transformation Assays

• BALB/3T3 Transformation Assay

Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization (FISH) in Prenatal Detection

• Autosomal trisomies including 13, 18, 21 Chromosomes
• Sex Chromosome Aneusomies (Klinefelter and Turner Syndromes)