Design a brief experimental approach to demonstrate that a new antibacterial compound causes double-strand DNA breaks in bacteria rather than merely inhibiting replication. Which combined methods would give the most direct evidence?

• A. Measure the compound's minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) in stationary phase cultures only and conclude double-strand breaks occur because stationary phase cells are the most susceptible to any DNA-targeting agent.
• B. Demonstrate that the compound blocks protein synthesis using a ribosomal binding assay and infer that any DNA effects are secondary without directly measuring DNA damage.
• C. Treat actively dividing bacterial cultures with the compound, then perform assays such as pulsed-field gel electrophoresis or TUNEL-like DNA fragmentation analysis to detect chromosomal double-strand breaks and corroborate findings with microscopy showing loss of colony-forming ability.
• D. Rely solely on automated growth curve analysis showing slower growth rates after exposure and interpret the growth delay as definitive evidence of DNA double-strand breaks without any DNA-specific assays.

Answer: (C)