As part of its mission to continue to ensure the safety of fragrance ingredients, the Research Institute for Fragrance Materials Inc. (RIFM) has incorporated early screening with BlueScreen into its genotoxicity profiling regime.
Non-profit research institute RIFM said the use of BlueScreen HC provides accurate, sensitive results that are efficiently integrated into RIFM’s testing cascade and enable more efficient fragrance material evaluation.
In fact, BlueScreen HC is a highly specific, sensitive human cell based assay used to screen chemicals for their potential to cause damage to DNA, known as genotoxicity. Based on technology already used in the pharmaceutical industry, BlueScreen HC is used to provide a rapid assessment of potential hazard across diverse chemical collections in the assessment of new chemicals that are candidates for product development.
The assay evaluates the up-regulation of a key gene’s GADD45a response to a chemical that causes damage to, or interferes with, DNA. It measures the luminescence generated from the enzyme Gaussia Luciferase from the marine crustacean Gaussia princeps (Click here to read the report "Development of a High-Throughput Gaussia Luciferase Reporter Assay for the Activation of the GADD45a Gene by Mutagens, Promutagens, Clastogens, and Aneugens" published in The Journal of Biomolecular Screening).
The gene is incorporated into the human TK6 cells used in the assay and linked to GADD45a production.
RIFM and the originators of BlueScreen HC, Gentronix Limited are working closely on the assessment of fragrance materials for use in a wide range of consumer products.
“We found BlueScreen HC to be a very useful tool in our fragrance material evaluation process," said RIFM president, David Wilcox.
Gentronix's commercial director, Steve Beasley added: “We have been impressed with the scientific rigor that RIFM brings to the safety evaluation of fragrance materials and their assessment of new technologies such as BlueScreen HC. We look forward to continuing this important collaboration.”