One hundred experts from 27 countries are holding the twelfth biennial meeting of group ICAW, which brings together world specialists in the so-called "essay of the comet", from Tuesday 29th to Thursday 31st August. This is a technique for analyzing DNA damage that is spreading in many fields due to its versatility: from food, to the effects of technologies or of the exhibition to pollutants, pesticides, etc.

The "essay comet" is used to measure different DNA lesions and confirm that the body's natural repair methods are correcting these lesions.

According to Ramón y Cajaly researcher and professor at School of Pharmacy and Nutrition Amaya Azqueta -one of the world's leading experts in this technique-, "although it is not a new tool , what we are seeing is that it has an enormous spectrum of applications, since it can be used both in programs of study in vitro, and in samples of animal or plant origin, in programs of study biomonitoring with human samples, etc. It is enough to have a cell suspension of any origin to know if changes have been induced in the DNA chain".

He also stresses that this technique can be used to evaluate the effects of treatments against diseases such as cancer, "but also, for example, to find out whether certain compounds or foods really protect us against DNA damage, such as functional foods".

This subject of programs of study directly affects our daily lives: "Although many people are unaware of it, any cream, soap or facial treatment that we use must be tested beforehand, and it is no longer possible to do so on animals since the approval of the last European directive on cosmetics in 2013. In this field, the "essay comet" can play a crucial role in confirming that cosmetic or cleaning products are safe before they are marketed", adds the expert from Navarre.

Throughout the three conference the Sciences Building will host mini-talks on topics as close as the role of aerobic exercise (such as walking or swimming) in reducing DNA damage; the use of this technique to measure the impact of pollution of seas and oceans on animals such as marine sponges;to know the effects of some food contaminants (such as bisphenol, which was found in baby bottles, pacifiers or teats); or to confirm that people exposed to harmful substances, such as asbestos (asbestos, common in materials from Building but also in car components and even packaging), are correctly repairing the lesions caused in their genome.