History of the Ames Test
The ames test, which tests for chemicals that alter structure of DNA, was developed by Dr. Bruce Ames, for which the test was named. Dr. Ames is a molecular geneticist, Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, and Director of the national Institute of Environmental Health Sciences Center. He begun work on the Ames test in 1964 and continued to improve the test until 1967. The Ames Test is extensively used as a screening test because of its quick and inexpensive nature, which sets it apart from similar tests. Dr. Ames currently works at the University of California, where he has continued work on projects in aging and mitochondrial decay.
