EPA Signs Contract To Use New Genomics Tool In 'ToxCast' Screening

EPA's ToxCast rapid chemical-screening program will soon generate data with a new technology that agency officials say allows for more precise analysis of gene expression than it has enjoyed up until now, potentially yielding greater confidence in the agency's resulting high-throughput chemical-toxicity predictions. ToxCast forms one component of EPA's shift from animal-based testing toward more computational and other high-throughput approaches, as part of a new generation of risk assessment and toxicity testing advocated by expert panels. While computational data continue...