MC Members:

Amaya Azqueta, Andrew Collins, Annamaria Brech, Biljana Potparević, Blanaid White, Blanca Laffon, Bojana Žegura, Cristian Del Bo, Elisa Boutet-Robinet, Gudrun Koppen, Gunnar Brunborg, Hakan Wallin, Helga Stopper, João Paulo Teixeira, Lada Živković, Lisa Giovannelli, Lucyna Kapka-Skrzypczak, Magdalena Matysiak, Marcin Kruszewski, Matjaz Novak, Metka Filipič, Milena Radaković, Ninoslav Djelić, Nursen Basaran, Patrizia Riso, Pavel Vodicka, Peter Møller, Stefano Bonassi, Vanessa Valdiglesias, Zsuzsanna Nemeth

Non MC Members:

Ariane Vettorazzi Armental, Sonia Fraga 

Objective:
Working Group 3 will organize ring studies to test the robustness of standard protocols.

Tasks:

Between 6 and 10 members of hCOMET will be recruited to take part in a ring study (using own resources for experimental work). They will receive identical samples of cells treated with a range of concentrations of specific DNA-damaging agent, to be processed according to a standard 12- gel/slide medium throughput comet assay protocol. Since scoring of comets has previously been proposed as a likely cause of variation, slides will be scored in the lab carrying out the test, and then in a central lab. The ring study will be repeated as necessary (e.g. if substantial changes to the protocol are made on the basis of results of the first ring study).

Milestones:

1. Recruitment of COST members with own resources to take part in the ring study (Month 24)
   
2. Preparation of standard protocol, in consultation with the ring study participants (Month 27)
   
3. Distribution of samples for analysis (Month 30)
   

Deliverables:

Publication reporting results of ring study (Month 42)

Training course:

Advances in high throughput methods for studying DNA damage (year 1)

Second Year of the Project

Goal:

Performance of ring studies with standard comet assay protocols, in order to identify best practice; relates to Objective 5.

Milestone:

M3.1. Recruitment of COST members with own resources to take part in the ring study (Month 24)