RIFM to Present on Genotoxicity and Read-Across at 2026 GTA Annual Meeting
5.1.26
The Research Institute for Fragrance Materials (RIFM) will present new work on genotoxicity assessment and read-across approaches at the 2026 Annual Meeting of the Genetic Toxicology Association (GTA), taking place May 6–8 at the University of Delaware.
RIFM scientists will contribute to two workshops on Wednesday, May 6, highlighting both methodological development and cross-sector application of toxicological approaches.
Yax Thakkar, PhD, Manager, Scientific Innovation & Discovery, will present “Cosmetics & Fragrance Perspectives” as part of Workshop 1: Read-Across Perspectives by Sectors (1:30–3:30 PM). Dr. Thakkar’s presentation will address how read-across approaches are applied within the fragrance and cosmetics sectors to support safety evaluation in the absence of complete data sets.
“Read-across is a critical component of modern safety assessment, particularly when addressing data gaps,” said Dr. Thakkar. “From a fragrance perspective, applying read-across requires careful consideration of chemical structure, data quality, and relevance to real-world exposure scenarios.”
Later that day, Kayla Farrell, PhD, Senior Associate Scientist, Genotoxicity, will present “Analytical Composition as a Key Factor in Genotoxicity Testing of Natural Extracts” as part of Workshop 2: Practical Approaches to Genetic Toxicology (4:00–6:00 PM). Dr. Farrell’s work examines how analytical composition, specifically when aligned with the solvent system used in genotoxicity testing, can inform study design and improve biological relevance.
In a pilot study, RIFM characterized extract composition using the same solvent employed in the genotoxicity test battery and compared the results with supplier-provided data. This approach supported the identification of constituents of concern and helped establish a laboratory framework for future analyses.
As Dr. Farrell notes, “Current findings underscore the importance of performing compositional analysis using the same solvent as the test system to ensure selection of the most appropriate and biologically relevant methodology.”
Together, these presentations reflect RIFM’s ongoing work to advance scientifically robust, exposure-based safety assessment methodologies.