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Bioassay

Bioassay is a method for the quantitative estimation of the effects that result in a biological system after its exposure to a substance. This is done by comparing the activity of living organisms and/or their parts under standardised conditions versus the conditions under investigation. Bioassays allow for a quantitative measurement of the effect of a substance on a biological system.

The biological material in which the effect is measured can range from subcellular components and microorganisms to groups of animals. Bioassays are most frequently used when there are a number of steps, usually poorly understood, between the substance exposure and the behaviour observed, or when the substance is a complex mixture of materials and it is not clear what the active components are.

Bioassays that analyse the effects of an exposure, model the effect of a substance in the real world. Complex biological responses can be estimated by laboratory culture tests which use, for example, bacteria or cells cultured in a petri dish, by tissue or organ culture, which isolates pieces of tissue, or whole organs in a petri dish, or in animals. Tests which measure direct effects on an organism are frequently easier to extrapolate to real world situations than more indirect tests.

Web Resources On Bioassay

Bioassays
Bioassay for infectivity

Book Resources On Bioassay

Statistical Techniques in Bioassay by Z Govindarajulu
Bioassay Methods in Natural Product Research and Drug Development by Lars Bohlin and Jan G Brugn

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