Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 20, 2026

CometChip: A High-throughput 96-Well Platform for Measuring DNA Damage in Microarrayed Human Cells
10:59

CometChip: A High-throughput 96-Well Platform for Measuring DNA Damage in Microarrayed Human Cells

Published on: October 18, 2014

Inter-laboratory variation in DNA damage using a standard comet assay protocol.

Lykke Forchhammer1, Clara Ersson, Steffen Loft

  • 1Section of Environmental Health, Department of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen K, Denmark.

Mutagenesis
|July 31, 2012
PubMed
Summary

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

DNA Oxidation and Expression of Repair Enzymes in Organ- Cultured Human Limbal Epithelium.

International journal of molecular sciences·2026
Same author

The comet assay as a tool for human biomonitoring of exposure to environmental and occupational agents - A summary of systematic reviews and meta-analyses.

Mutation research. Reviews in mutation research·2026
Same author

<i>In Vitro</i> Genotoxicity Screening and Lipid Oxidation in Pork and Chicken Burgers: Effect of Cooking and Gastrointestinal Digestion.

International journal of molecular sciences·2026
Same author

The comet assay as a tool in human biomonitoring exposure to antineoplastic drugs - A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Mutation research. Reviews in mutation research·2026
Same author

Towards a validation of the standard and enzyme-linked comet assay: a retrospective variability analysis.

Archives of toxicology·2026
Same author

The comet assay as a tool in human biomonitoring exposure to anaesthetic gases - A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Mutation research. Reviews in mutation research·2026
This summary is machine-generated.

Standardizing the comet assay for DNA damage measurement did not reduce variations in strand breaks but did reduce variations in FPG-sensitive sites. Further validation is needed for reliable DNA damage assessment across labs.

Area of Science:

  • Molecular Biology
  • Genotoxicology
  • Biochemistry

Background:

  • Inter-laboratory variations in DNA damage assessment using the comet assay are substantial.
  • Standardization of protocols is crucial for reliable and reproducible genotoxicity testing.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate if adopting a standard comet assay protocol reduces inter-laboratory variation in DNA damage measurements.
  • To assess the impact of a standardized protocol on DNA strand breaks (SBs) and formamidopyrimidine DNA glycosylase (FPG)-sensitive sites.

Main Methods:

  • Fourteen laboratories analyzed coded mononuclear blood cells (MNBCs) from healthy volunteers.
  • Laboratories used both their specific protocols and a standardized comet assay protocol.
  • DNA damage was quantified by measuring SBs/alkaline labile sites and FPG-sensitive sites.

More Related Videos

A High-Throughput Comet Assay Approach for Assessing Cellular DNA Damage
07:57

A High-Throughput Comet Assay Approach for Assessing Cellular DNA Damage

Published on: May 10, 2022

Use of Frozen Tissue in the Comet Assay for the Evaluation of DNA Damage
11:30

Use of Frozen Tissue in the Comet Assay for the Evaluation of DNA Damage

Published on: March 24, 2020

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 20, 2026

CometChip: A High-throughput 96-Well Platform for Measuring DNA Damage in Microarrayed Human Cells
10:59

CometChip: A High-throughput 96-Well Platform for Measuring DNA Damage in Microarrayed Human Cells

Published on: October 18, 2014

A High-Throughput Comet Assay Approach for Assessing Cellular DNA Damage
07:57

A High-Throughput Comet Assay Approach for Assessing Cellular DNA Damage

Published on: May 10, 2022

Use of Frozen Tissue in the Comet Assay for the Evaluation of DNA Damage
11:30

Use of Frozen Tissue in the Comet Assay for the Evaluation of DNA Damage

Published on: March 24, 2020

Main Results:

  • The standard protocol did not reduce inter-laboratory variation for SBs/alkaline labile sites compared to laboratory-specific protocols.
  • A significant reduction in inter-laboratory variation was observed for FPG-sensitive sites when using the standard protocol.
  • Seven laboratories encountered technical issues implementing the standard protocol, and half obtained poor results.

Conclusions:

  • Standardizing the comet assay protocol reduced variability in FPG-sensitive site measurements but not in SBs.
  • Challenges in protocol implementation highlight the need for thorough validation and training in inter-laboratory studies.
  • Future comet assay validation requires evaluating the successful adoption of standard procedures by participating laboratories.