Genotoxicology Assignment: Artificial food coloring and Mutation
Your assignment is to write a two-page report (single-spaced, NOT including the list of
references; skip one line between paragraphs) on some aspect of genotoxicology, for which you
cite at least 10 references obtained from PubMed. It should have a story that needs a theme or a common thread that ties it all together. I have attached a short report on genotoxicology in a specific occupation;
please use it as a guide.
Written report
The intent of this assignment is threefold:
(a) to acquaint you with the site, Pub Med, which is an abstract service sponsored by the
National Library of Medicine;
(b) to demonstrate the usage of genotoxicity assays to protect us from chemical and physical
agents, in the workplace, in the environment, and in foods, that may adversely affect our
genes and chromosomes. Some of these assays (e.g., Ames assay; Allium assay;
chromosomal aberrations, mitotic aberrations, aneuploidy, & polyploidy; micronucleus
assay; sister chromatid exchange; comet assay) were discussed in laboratory or in lecture;
you are not limited to these assays. Cancer risks and reproductive hazards also fall within
the realm of genotoxic risks and are suitable; and
(c) to show the correct way to cite science research publications. Please follow the format
in the sample essay.
In your report, if you decide to include other genotoxicity tests, you must – in one or two
sentences – define the purpose of that assay. For example, “cell transformation assay” – this test
evaluates the abilities of chemical or physical agents to change normal, healthy cells into
populations of neoplastic cells. Transformation is usually monitored by the cells changing from
substratum-dependent growth to anchorage-independent growth.
Enter the PubMed site http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi and search your topic with the focus on hazards to genes or to chromosomes.
NOTE: In-text citations (i.e., citations within the report itsels):
When citing a source within the text –
If one author, then last name and year
If two authors, cite both last names
If more than three authors, cite the last name of the first author followed by et al. [which
means, “and others’] and the year
When citing the genus and species name of an organism, you need to use italics,
for example, Salmonella typhimurium; terms such as et al., in vivo, in vitro, in utero, and
in situ also require italics.
NOTE: Bibliography (References):
When citing scientific journal articles in the bibliography:
Last name, initials (complete first and middle names are seldom used), year, title of the
article, journal (usually, abbreviated), volume (usually, the issue number is omitted),
and first and last page of the article.
In science publications, usually all authors are listed; however, in some journals, the
initial three authors are listed followed by “et al.,”. Either format can be used.
.
When citing from Internet sources:
Basic format: name of author, year, title of the work, the day that source was retrieved, and web
address of the source.
