In January this year the Biology Department of Lawrence University released an article in genetics journal announcing that they have reinvented the Ames test used in many labs around the world. The author comments on the current Ames test to be lacking the techniques and procedure for students to be able to use qualitative analysis of phenotypic reversion, the transformation back to the wild type virus.
The new test claims to show undergraduate students both the quantitative and molecular analysis of reversion by extending the test. This extension is to help students learn the techniques and genetic concepts. In the rest of the article (which is not available for public viewing) the author goes on to say the procedures used to show students the abnormal structural changes in both 1 codon changes and frameshift changes, where there are missing or extra nucleotides as a result of reversion.
I believe that this will allow undergraduate students to be closer to using cutting edge technology in teaching labs.
References:
http://www.genetics.org/cgi/content/abstract/181/1/23?maxtoshow=&HITS=10&hits=10&RESULTFORMAT=&fulltext=Ames+test&andorexactfulltext=and&searchid=1&FIRSTINDEX=0&sortspec=relevance&resourcetype=HWCIT Genetics scientific journal of America.
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