Ames test

noun

ˈāmz- 

: a test for identifying potential carcinogens by studying their mutagenic effect on bacteria

Examples of Ames test in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Merck spent at least six months doing its own deep dive to test the drug’s safety, including conducting its own Ames test that also suggested the potential for mutations. —Betsy McKay, WSJ, 20 Dec. 2021

Years earlier, a standard lab screening assay, called an Ames test, had suggested that the compound might introduce mutations into human DNA as well as viral RNA. —Betsy McKay, WSJ, 20 Dec. 2021

Word History

Etymology

Bruce N. Ames born 1928 American biochemist

First Known Use

1974, in the meaning defined above

Medical Definition

Ames test

noun

ˈāmz- 

variants also Ames assay

: a test for identifying potential carcinogens by studying the frequency with which they cause histidine-producing genetic mutants in bacterial colonies of the genus Salmonella (S. typhimurium) initially lacking the ability to synthesize histidine

The compound … produced the highest score ever reported in an Ames test, a standard measure of the cancer-causing potential of toxic chemicals.

—Today's Chemist at Work

Dimethylnitrosamine … a known animal carcinogen—is usually a potent mutagen in the Ames assay.

—Science News