Use of the comet assay in environmental toxicology

The comet assay, also known as the single-cell gel electrophoresis assay, is a method of detecting DNA damage in virtually any nucleated cell. The comet assay has significant advantages over other genotoxicity tests, but it is very sensitive to subtle changes that can yield appreciable variability in results. The purpose of our chapter is to present background information and detailed standard operating procedures for the use of the alkaline comet assay in environmental genotoxicity assessment. We address pitfalls and concerns associated with conducting the comet assay, and briefly discuss modifications of the general alkaline procedure that can be used to address different issues relevant to environmental toxicology.