This nuclear receptor assay system utilizes proprietary non-human cells engineered to provide constitutive, high-level expression of the human peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (NR1C1), a ligand-dependent transcription factor commonly referred to as PPARA or PPAR(alpha). INDIGO's reporter cells include the luciferase reporter gene functionally linked to a PPAR(alpha)-responsive promoter. Thus, quantifying changes in luciferase expression in the treated reporter cells provides a sensitive surrogate measure of the changes in PPAR(alpha) activity. The principal application of this reporter assay system is in the screening of test samples to quantify any functional activity, either agonist or antagonist, that they may exert against human PPAR(alpha). PPAR(alpha) reporter cells are prepared using INDIGO