Derek T. Bernacki

Papers

Total Citations

191

H-Index

About

Derek T. Bernacki is a prominent researcher specializing in **in vitro genotoxicology**, with a particular focus on developing innovative, high-throughput methods for assessing DNA damage and predicting genotoxic mechanisms. His most significant contribution is the development and validation of the MultiFlow™ DNA Damage Kit, a multiplexed flow cytometric assay that simultaneously measures multiple biomarkers — including γH2AX, p53, and phospho-histone H3 — to distinguish clastogens, aneugens, and nongenotoxicants with remarkable efficiency. Bernacki's 2016 landmark paper integrating machine learning approaches with multiplexed flow cytometry (87 citations) demonstrated that genotoxic modes of action could be predicted from a single, streamlined "add and read" assay, transforming how researchers screen chemicals for DNA-damaging potential. His follow-up interlaboratory evaluation study (74 citations) established the assay's reproducibility across independent laboratories, a critical step toward regulatory acceptance. Further work extending the assay's utility to metabolically activated promutagens using rat liver S9 (30 citations) broadened its real-world applicability considerably. Through rigorous experimental design and cross-laboratory collaboration, Bernacki has meaningfully advanced the field of genetic toxicology, offering practical, mechanistically informative tools that support both pharmaceutical safety assessment and environmental chemical screening.