Microbial Assays: Evaluation and Application to the Elucidation of the Etiology of Colon Cancer

The value of short-term microbial assay procedures to screen for environmental agents possessing carcinogenic and/or genetic activity has been established, as evidenced by the plethora of recently published studies and critical reviews on this subject (1–14). Among the available tests, the Salmonella mutagenicity assay developed by Ames arid his associates has achieved prominence, especially as its reliability as a predictor of carcinogenicity has been demonstrated in a number of studies (1, 7–9). Indeed, a number of investigators have suggested a quantitative relationship between mutagenic potency and carcinogenic potential (15,16; however see also 18–20).