In Vitro Comet Assay for Testing Genotoxicity of Chemicals

The Comet assay, also known as the single cell gel electrophoresis (SCGE) assay, is widely applied as one of the standard methods to assess DNA damage caused by a range of DNA damaging agents. The unique aspect of this method is its ability to detect DNA damage in individual cells. During the last 2 decades, the Comet assay has been used in a broad variety of applications, including genotoxicity testing, human biomonitoring, ecological monitoring, clinical studies, and as a tool for detection of DNA damage in different cell types. Comet assay protocols have been adopted and optimized by many laboratories around the world. In this chapter, the authors provide an example of in vitro Comet assay (neutral and alkaline) application with detailed procedures used in their laboratory for the analysis and interpretation of Comet assay data.