The β-galactosidase assay is used frequently in genetics, molecular biology, and other life sciences. An active enzyme may be detected using artificial chromogenic substrate 5-bromo-4-chloro-3-indolyl-β-d-galactopyranoside, X-gal. β-galactosidase will cleave the glycosidic bond in X-gal and form galactose and 5-bromo-4-chloro-3-hydroxyindole which dimerizes and oxidizes to 5,5'-dibromo-4,4'-dichloro-indigo, an intense blue product that is easy to identify and quantify. It is used for example in blue white screen. Its production may be induced by a non-hydrolyzable analog of allolactose, IPTG, which binds and releases the lac repressor from the lac operator, thereby allowing the initiation of transcription to proceed.