BlueScreen HC - A Luminescence Based, High-Throughput, In Vitro Genotoxicity Assay

The BlueScreen HC assay utilizes a luciferase from the marine copepod Gaussia princeps to generate a luminescent output. Exposure to a genotoxic chemical causes increased expression of GADD45a and thus a dose dependent increase in the production of luciferase from the GADD45a reporter, which is naturally exported from the cell. The amount of luciferase produced by the cells is assessed by injection of a solution of the substrate, coelenterazine, resulting in a short-lived flash luminescence. In addition, reduced cell proliferation, a measure of cytotoxicity, is assessed either by changes in optical absorbance in the BlueScreen HC assay, or in fluorescence from a DNA stain in the BlueScreen HC S9 assay.

This application note shows how the BlueScreen HC and BlueScreen HC S9 assays are highly compatible with the BMG LABTECH FLUOstar Omega microplate reader, making use of the 3 principal detection modes and the reagent injection system.