When it comes to human safety testing, genotoxicity is one of the most critical endpoints to assess, but there remains a significant need for the development of new in vitro technologies in this area.  Long-standing methods such as the Bacterial Reverse Mutation Test (OECD TG 471) and the In Vitro Mammalian Cell Micronucleus Test (OECD TG 487) have significant drawbacks: in spite of considerable cost, they fail to capture all of the common mechanisms of genotoxicity and are highly prone to false positive results.  Also, the continued use of animal–derived components, such as serum and rat liver extract, mean that animals have ultimately been sacrificed to sustain these “in vitro” methods.  At least two leading UK cosmetic companies have identified this as a major block to adopting the techniques.  Over the past 2 years, we have been working with an exciting new alternative to address this industry need.

BlueScreen^TM is a human cell based genotoxicity test capable of detecting all major classes of genotoxin, while reducing the incidence of false positive results.  These clear scientific advantages are accompanied by considerable cost saving compared with existing in vitro methods, and the test is already in extensive use in a non-regulatory context.  In collaboration with Gentronix Ltd, we have developed a completely animal-free adaptation of the BlueScreen^TM test.  We conducted an in-house validation of the adapted method which was presented at the conference of the European Society for Alternatives to Animal Testing (EUSAAT).  Following the success of the validation exercise, we have been providing “BlueScreen^TM Animal-Free” for our clients as a non-regulatory test for fragrances and other cosmetic ingredients over the past year, obtaining extremely useful information to inform product development.

For more information, please feel free to read about the validation exercise and the BlueScreen^TM Animal-Free Test on our website,

or contact info@x-cellr8.com / +44(0)1925 607 134.