This was a significant achievement and revolutionised our understanding of the ways in which ionising radiations caused chromosome breakage and induced mutations.

Such modification induces mutations, which are cytotoxic and carcinogenic.

Like many phage viruses, it has been used in molecular biology to induce mutations in cultured bacteria and to introduce foreign genetic material.

For example, irradiation may be used (e.g. xrays, gamma rays) to induce mutations that may give rise to plants with new characteristics.

Treatments which induced mutations were also used.