The 3R policy for animal research is fundamental to the mission of the CMCiB. As well as extensive training for personnel on the campus the team can provide training in legal and procedural matters as well as consultations on experimental design
3R
Less is more in comparative medicine
The 3Rs are:
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Replacement
methods which avoid or replace the use of animals
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Reduction
methods which minimise the number of animals used per experiment
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Refinement
methods which minimise any suffering and improve animal welfare
Supporting the use of the 3R policy in biomedical research, means that we work to drive scientific and technological developments that replace the use of animals in research by accelerating the development and use of models and tools that use the latest science and computational technologies to address important scientific questions without the use of animals.
To reduce the number of animals used we ensure that animal experiments are as robust and reproducible as possible, while only using the minimum number of animals necessary. For this reason, the CMCiB is also developing and promoting the use of non-invasive imaging technologies for animals.
We refine research by overseeing all work at the centre to check the design of all projects and make sure we provide the best welfare for laboratory animals. We advance research into animal welfare by exploiting the latest in vivo technologies and improving understanding of the impact of welfare on scientific outcomes.
Our professionals will advise on the use of alternative methods for pre-clinical research made available through collaborations.
At all times the CMCiB is dedicated to applying the 3R principle to replace, reduce and refine the use of animal models in research. It has a programme devoted to the use of alternative methods for pre-clinical research.