Keller says the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and Environmental Protection Agency require drug and chemical manufacturers, respectively, to test their new products, but that such tests often are subjective. The new method "allows chemical and drug companies to conduct these studies in a much more quantitative way, improving upon the safety of the products we find in our homes," he adds.

Keller and a colleague have founded a company named Numira Biosciences, which plans to make the virtual histology method available through the sale of kits and imaging services.

The study was published online in the April 28 issue of PLoS Genetics.

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4-May-2006