Latest news from the NC3Rs: February 2023

This year's International 3Rs Prize is now open to applications from anyone in the world who has published an outstanding and original paper with demonstrable 3Rs impacts in the past three years. This prestigious annual award, sponsored by GSK, consists of a £2k personal award and a £28k prize grant to further the 3Rs impact of the winning research. Researchers in any field of academia or industry are eligible to apply.

After five years and 180 papers, we are turning off our mics making this month’s episode the final one. Thank you to the North American 3Rs Collaborative (NA3RsC) and Lab Animal, and of course our loyal listeners! Our episode archive will remain online.

Do you have experience working with a range of stakeholders across research? Able to build and sustain relationships with our grant holders to maximise uptake of 3Rs advances? We are seeking a Programme Manager for maternity cover in our Research Funding team, to support researchers at all career stages drive change and advance the 3Rs through the creation and adoption of 3Rs approaches and technologies.

Two new articles identify opportunities for reduction and refinement of safety assessment for monoclonal antibody (mAb) therapeutics. This work is part of our ongoing project to evaluate the role of in vivo chronic toxicity testing and explore 3Rs opportunities in mAb toxicity studies, in collaboration with The Netherlands Medicines Evaluation Board and 14 pharmaceutical companies, with funding from the EPAA.

We are inviting potential Sponsors to submit new ideas for Single Phase CRACK IT Challenges for the 2023 competition. As a Sponsor, your organisation will set a Challenge to develop a product that addresses an unmet scientific and 3Rs need, providing in-kind support and end-user input. In return, you will receive early access to new technologies developed through your Challenge.

The team at Fluid Pharma Ltd. have been awarded £50k through the Business Growth Scheme (BGS) to support the business and commercial opportunities from technologies arising from the Tat-Fit Challenge. Fluid Pharma developed tamoxifen micropellets encapsulated by a taste-masking coating that are compatible with common rodent feed, to refine the production of transgenic rodents.

Our evaluating environmental enrichment resource, created in collaboration with the RSPCA and IAT, aims to empower animal technicians assess the welfare impact of enrichment, helping them to make informed, welfare-focused decisions with increased confidence. To help technicians overcome the challenges of assessing enrichment within a research setting, we are hosting an online webinar and an interactive workshop at IAT Congress 2023. We recommend the webinar for both those unable to attend IAT Congress, and as good preparation for technicians who are attending the workshop.

Online webinar – Evaluations of environmental enrichment

Wednesday 1 March, 12.00 – 12.45 (GMT)

Hosted by NC3Rs’ Dr Jessica Eddy, our Animal Welfare Science Manager Dr Khia Dobbinson will present an overview of resources available to support animal technicians evaluate enrichment. Zoe Windsor, a Senior Research Support Technician and NACWO at UCL, will provide practical guidance from a technician’s perspective.

IAT Congress 2023 workshop – Confidence is key: evaluating environmental enrichment for improved animal welfare

Wednesday 22 March, 11.00 – 13.00

This interactive workshop will walk participants through the process of evaluating environmental enrichment, including the importance of considering the natural behaviour of animals, how to ask animals what they want and collecting higher quality data.

Wednesday 15 March, 14.00 – 15.00 (GMT)

This webinar will focus on the development of a 3D osteoarthritis (OA) model of cartilage for preclinical testing of therapeutics. Developed through the Osteo-Chip CRACK IT Challenge, Alcyomics have designed the platform to model the biomarkers and molecular characteristics of cartilage damage seen in arthritis when injury is introduced. Join us to learn more about the OA 3D in vitro model, its application and the scientific, business and 3Rs benefits of the technology.

Thursday 30 March, 14.00 – 15.00 (GMT)

Our Experimental Design Assistant (EDA) tool can help researchers at any level design robust in vivo experiments. Following a presentation on the key aspects of the online tool, Dr Esther Pearl (NC3Rs Experimental Design Programme Manager) will answer questions on how you can use the EDA to design and plan your next study. Limited spaces are available on a first come first served basis.

Monday 24 April, 09.30 – 11.10

If you are attending The Festival of Neuroscience organised by the British Neuroscience Association in Brighton this year, come along to our session on refining the use of head fixation and food and water control in rodents. Dr Chris Barkus will be hosting the session which focuses on the recommendations we published last year from our expert working group on refinements to rodent high-yield behavioural experiments. Speakers include members of the working group and other experts.

Thursday 23 February 11.00 – 16.15 (GMT)

The use of fishes in research and testing is rapidly increasing globally, and there is now widening recognition of the need to minimise harms and improve welfare. This RSPCA-led online event, which is now in its third year, brings together experts to share knowledge and approaches to refining fish use.

Do you know someone who has made an outstanding contribution to the development, promotion or implementation of refinement alternatives? Charles River Laboratories, in association with Johns Hopkins University’s Center for Alternatives to Animal Testing (CAAT) is calling for nominations for their Excellence in Refinement Award. The award will be presented at the World Congress on Alternatives and Animal Use in the Life Sciences in Niagara Falls, Canada in August 2023.