News | Innovation Platform

An image combining two images, one of an organ-on-a-chip and another of a pipette above a rack of test tubes.

EURL ECVAM joins CRACK IT Challenges to further the adoption of new approach methodologies

The EU Reference Laboratory for alternatives to animal testing (EURL ECVAM) have joined our SensOoChip and CrossDART CRACK IT projects as Challenge Partners.

27 March 2025

Graphic showing an orange mouse within a circle containing a house and ecg reading.

£150k awarded to develop a shelter to refine post-operative care of rodents

A team led by Mr Alonso Sanchez at Malsen Medical AS are beginning work to solve the Rodent Shelter Challenge to support recovery and improve the welfare of rodents following surgical procedures.

26 March 2025

Graphic of a repeating pattern of livers, hearts and organ-on-a-chip models.

£1.6M awarded to advance the utility and reproducibility of organ-on-a-chip technologies

Building upon a successful proof-of-concept phase, a team led by Dr Torsten Mayr at PyroScience AT GmbH have been awarded further funding through the SensOoChip Challenge.

24 February 2025

Graphic showing a flying mallard duck, which is one of the bird species used in avian toxicity testing, with a test tube and computer screen on either side representing development of new approach methodologies to reduce reliance on in vivo studies in birds.

£300k awarded for new approach methodologies to replace the use of birds in toxicity testing

Two teams are starting work on the proof-of-concept phase of the Wings of Change CRACK IT Challenge to evaluate the potential risks that chemicals such as pesticides pose to birds.

28 January 2025

£1M awarded for in vitro and in silico approaches to better predict developmental toxicity in drug development

A team led by Dr Amer Jamalpoor at Toxys has proceeded to the next stage of the CrossDART CRACK IT Challenge to develop and qualify multi-species in vitro assays to reduce reliance on in vivo embryo-fetal developmental studies.

17 December 2024

Picture of Professor Mike Capaldi in front of a background repeating ‘CRACK IT’.

Shaping the future of 3Rs innovation: Professor Mike Capaldi on the 2025 CRACK IT open call

As we open the call for 2025 CRACK IT Challenge ideas, we sat down with the Chair of our CRACK IT Advisory Panel, Professor Mike Capaldi, to discuss innovation and the 3Rs.

13 December 2024

Alt text Graphic of a megaphone with text reading ‘Open call for 3Rs Challenges’..

Submit your 2025 CRACK IT Challenge ideas

Do you have an idea to improve R&D and refine or reduce your reliance on in vivo studies? We want to hear from you.

21 November 2024

£100k awarded to develop methods to identify individual mice from birth

A team led by Dr Adam Polak at the Fraunhofer UK Research Ltd has been awarded £100k to develop a non-invasive and non-toxic method to identify individual mice from birth.

24 September 2024

2024 CRACK IT Challenges open for applications

The 2024 CRACK IT Challenges Competition is now closed.

23 September 2024