Xenometrix produces and distributes today's most advanced mutagenicity assays and cytotoxicity screening kits designed to help reduce hands-on time, test compound consumption, plastic waste and consequently the cost.

Xenometrix has been developing high quality Ames fluctuation test kits and cytotoxicity screening assays since 1995. Xenometrix offers full customer support free-of-charge, as well as fast customer compound testing with all assay systems.

AMES II, AMES MPF 98/100, AMES MPF 1535, AMES MPF 1537 FLUCTUATION ASSAYS

The Ames II, Ames MPF 98/100, Ames MPF 1535 and Ames MPF 1537 fluctuation assays are all modifications of the traditional Ames plate incorporation assay and the mini Ames test. The assay is performed entirely in liquid culture media in microplates and has a colorimetric readout.

The Ames II kit includes the S. typhimurium strains TA98 and TAMix (TA7001-TA7006) whereas the Ames MPF 98/100 kit includes TA98 and TA100. All kits contain the media necessary to perform the test. The assays are run in a liquid format on 384-wells plates and are automatable for high throughput screening.

The Ames II and the Ames MPF 98,100,1535,1537 kits use significantly (at least three-fold) less test compound than the traditional Ames, they all reduce hands-on-time and use six fold less plastic ware as compared to the traditional Ames tests. All S. typhimurium strains of Xenometrix are quality controlled (phenotyped and genotyped).

The Ames fluctuation assays are used by major pharmaceutical, chemical and cosmetic industries, but also by authorities analysing for environmental toxicants. Contract Service labs are also among our customers.

MULTIPLE ENDPOINTS: CYTOTOXICITY SCREENING KITS

The test kits are used in early screening to determine multiple cytotoxicity endpoints in eukaryotic cells. A full range of parameters is offered including: XTT, MTT, Lactate Dehydrogenase (LDH), Sulforhodamine B (SRB), Neutral Red (NR), Crystal Violet (CVDE), Acid Phosphatase (PAC) and Glucose (GLU). They allow the measurement of respiratory chain activity, membrane integrity, total protein synthesis, lysosomal activity, DNA content/cell number and metabolic activity.

The cytotoxicity screening kits allow you to determine up to four metabolic parameters from the same cellular sample. This technical optimization using multiple endpoints allows you to reduce test compound consumption and handling time. It further eliminates test-to-test variability due to potential variables such as passage number, time-since-plating, cell density, and medium age. Differences in IC50 values between assays therefore reflect more accurately the varying response of cellular functions to toxicants.

Using four sequential cytotoxicity tests greatly enhances chances to detect toxicants which might go unnoticed if only one assay were used. This becomes even more pronounced in experimental set-ups where only one exposure time is used. The combined kits also make optimal use of rare and valuable cell samples such as primary cells.

CELTOX SOFTWARE FOR THE DATA MANAGEMENT OF ASSAYS

Xenometrix offers the CelTox software to its customers free of charge. The software was developped for the data management, data processing and reporting of the assays. The IC50 and/or ID50 values and the linear regressions are calculated automatically and a detailed report serves as printout.

The cytotoxicity kits are used by major pharmaceutical, chemical and cosmetic industries, but also by authorities analysing for environmental toxicants. Contract Service labs are also among our customers.