PETA Science Consortium International has donated a flow cytometer worth US$80,000 to the Institute for In Vitro Sciences, Inc (IIVS). IIVS is a non-profit contract research organisation, located in Gaithersburg, MD, US, that specialises in in vitro testing and provides free training on the use and interpretation of data from these tests.
The flow cytometer will be used in the ToxTracker assay to assess chemicals for their genotoxic potential and provide mechanistic insight into their modes of action, and in the human Cell Line Activation Test (h-CLAT) and photo h-CLAT to assess chemicals for their potential to cause dermal sensitisation and photoallergy.
The machine will expand and upgrade the IIVS’ toxicology testing capacity and capabilities, meeting the needs of regulated industry to assess their products while avoiding animal tests.