Computerized Image Analysis Software for the Comet Assay

Single-cell gel electrophoresis (SCGE) or the comet assay is a powerful tool for the detection of DNA single- and double-strand breaks and base damage and for investigating the kinetics of DNA strand break rejoining in human and animal model systems. It is a versatile technique that can be applied in various areas of biomedical research. This chapter highlights the importance of computerized analysis and data processing for the comet assay and describes the criteria used for manual evaluation of comets and their limitations compared with the computer-based analysis. It describes in detail SCGE-Pro, a semiautomatic software developed in our laboratory for comet evaluation and data processing. For comparison, some of the commercially available software for analysis of data from the comet assay is also described.