Patent ID: 6150126
Filing Date: 2000-11-21
Classification: A01K,G01N,Y02A,Y10S

Abstract:
A bioassay for testing a sample for the presence of a chemical substance that interferes with endocrine function in an animal, comprising:maintaining a test sample and a control medium under conditions to induce sexual reproduction in Daphnia, the test sample and control each containing an effective number of adult, oviparous Daphnia of a single clone for crowding; andcomparing endpoints that indicate a deviation from normal Daphnia sexual reproduction in the test sample and control to determine the presence or absence of the chemical substance;whereby the presence of an endocrine disrupter substance is indicated by a variance between the test sample and the control of the sex ratio, the ratio of males:total offspring the number of resting eggs, the number of neonates with a morphological abnormality the number of neonates with a behavioral abnormality the nutritional status of the offspring, or a combination thereof.