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Anaesthesia and analgesia in laboratory animals can be a challenge: requirements of the experiment may collide with welfare and ideal management of the individual animal. Therefore, a balance between the interaction of anaesthetics with the data and an adequate level of anaesthesia with stable vital parameters needs to be established. Priv.-Doz. Dr.med.vet. Dipl.ACVAA Eva Eberspächer-Schweda (University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna) presented us possible improvements in laboratory animal anesthesia and analgesia in the seventh lecture of our online seminar series.

With the recommendation of the EURL ECVAM (ESAC) torwards an animal free antibody generation methods like the phage display are increasingly moving into the focus. Univ. Prof. DI Dr. Florian Rüker (Head of Institute of Molecular Biotechnology, BOKU) was presenting us the method of phage display and its pros and cons in the sixth talk of our online seminar series.

Starting April 15th 2021 the European Society for Alternatives to Animal Testing EUSAAT will host a virtual seminar series about 3R relevant topics.

Univ. Prof. Dr. Herwig Grimm (Head of the Department Ethics and Human-Animal Studies at the Messerli Research Institute in Vienna) was adressing the pros and cons of various approaches to the harm-benefit analysis (HBA) in the fifth talk of our online seminar series. Comparing the main arguments of both metric and the discourse model he outlined a strategy how one could combine these strategies to facilitate evaluation.

The Austrian Science Fond FWF, funded by the Ministry of Education, Science and Research (BMBWF), is starting an annual research grant programme for innovative projects involving a contribution to the discovery and development of alternative methods.

The programme is funded by the BMBWF with a budget of 600.000€. The call opens on the 15th of March 2021, and ends on the 17th of May 2021. The award desicions can be expected in December 2021.

Reduction of the number of animals needed for research by passing on biological materials

As the animal experiment statistics 2019 of the Austrian Ministry of Science have shown, the number of animals used in animal experiments has increased compared to the previous year. Therefore, the development of alternative methods is now to be accelerated in order to reduce the number of animals. However, a reduction in the number of animals can also be achieved by a more efficient use of animals already used for research purposes. This is the goal of the group around Dr. Monika Wieser. The basic idea is that scientists share biological material with the research community.

Learn more about the Animal Model Biomaterial-Collection in the flyer or contact Dr. Monika Wieser directly.

Around 1 million animals are used annually for the generation and production of antibodies, although there are alternative methods available that do not use animals.

Now the Scientific Advisory Committee of EURL ECVAM (ESAC) has published a recommendation for "animal-free" antibody generation and production. Methods such as "phage display", for which the Nobel Prize for Chemistry 2018 was awarded, should be used for the production of antibodies in the future.

The association "Tierschutz macht Schule" (Animal Protection in Schools) works for better living conditions for pets, farm animals, experimental and wild animals in our society. To this end, the critical examination of all aspects of animal protection, the avoidance of radical points of view and the willingness for further education and objective discussion is the basis of the work of "Tierschutz macht Schule".

The RepRefRed Society is happy to support this work and was able to contribute to the teaching booklet "Tierprofi-Versuchstiere" of the association "Tierschutz macht Schule" and to introduce itself briefly. In this teaching booklet the rat "Rita 3R" leads informatively through various aspects of animal experiments.

The booklet can be ordered free of charge, excluding postage, from the association "Tierschutz macht Schule".

Target groups: 7th-12th grade

www.tierschutzmachtschule.at under "Service"

Here you can find the text of the booklet.

Following the decision on the first 3Rs Day, the Austrian university animal protection bodies will push forward the standardisation of animal experimentation education in Austria.

To this end, the European Union working paper will be implemented.

Presentation about the "education-new" in Austria