Why use the comet assay?
The comet assay is...
Versatile
- Applicable to virtually any cell type from prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms
- Can be applied to cultured cells or cells isolated from the organism
- Can be used on cells that are proliferating or non-proliferating
Practical
- Simple and inexpensive to perform
- Reliable
- Fast
- Sensitive
- Only a small number of cells are required (<10,000)
Powerful
- Generates data at the level of the single cell
- Not only does it detect DNA damage but can determine which specific form it takes
- Can be used to detect DNA repair and kinetics of repair
- Already acceptable for regulatory approval e.g. new drug applications