Latest news from the NC3Rs: March 2024

We have published a statement in response to recent Home Office recommendations on the use of the forced swim test in rodents.

Following the introduction of our Networks programme in January, our third Network will bring together oncology researchers at all career stages across academia and industry to establish collaborations and catalyse the uptake of 3Rs technologies for cancer research.

Find out more about the benefits of joining the Oncology Network and access information on NC3Rs-funded projects, funding opportunities and resources through our Oncology Network hub.

Oncology Network launch event

Join us on Monday 20 May for our launch event* to hear about oncology approaches that are replacing, reducing or refining the use of animals, discuss potential future collaborations and shape Network activities and priorities. The event will be chaired by Professor Owen Sansom, Director of the Beatson Institute for Cancer Research.

* If you are unable to attend the launch event, you can join the Network via the hub to receive regular updates.

Have you published a paper in the past three years that could have major 3Rs impacts? Wherever you are in the world, you can apply for the International 3Rs Prize.

This prestigious annual award consists of a £2k personal award and a £28k prize grant to further the 3Rs impact of the winning research. A £20k contribution is provided by GSK with all remaining funds, including the personal award, made by the NC3Rs.

Scientists in any field of academia or industry sector are eligible, whether the 3Rs were the primary focus of your work or a secondary benefit.

We have published recommendations to increase the awareness and use of non-animal derived antibodies and non-antibody affinity reagents, following a meeting last year that brought together stakeholders from across the bioscience sector. Last month, we hosted a joint workshop with the Only Good Antibodies community focused on improving the integrity and reproducibility of research involving antibodies and other affinity reagents.

A new publication from the dose setting ECETOC task force, including NC3Rs Head of Toxicology Dr Fiona Sewell, makes recommendations for dose selection in developmental and reproductive toxicity (DART) studies to avoid unnecessary animal suffering, reduce animal use and maintain the highest standards of human health protection.

To celebrate our 20-year anniversary, our Public Engagement awards are open to all researchers working to advance the 3Rs, regardless of funder, with increased funding of up to £2,000 available. We have already awarded almost £8,000 across five awards – from 3D printed fish and flies, to supporting patients and students to visit facilities and engage in 3Rs research.

Contact Dr Genevieve Barr (NC3Rs Science Manager for Communications) to discuss your idea and apply for funding.

Do you use in vitro models in your research? Are you planning to submit a manuscript for publication in the next two to three months? Would you like to receive expert feedback on your manuscript and help test new reporting standards to improve the reliability and reproducibility of in vitro studies? 

Monday 15 April – Wednesday 17 April, Liverpool
If you are attending the 2024 British Toxicology Society (BTS) annual congress, please visit Dr Natalie Burden and Dr Fiona Sewell from our Toxicology and Regulatory Sciences team at our booth in the exhibition space. They will also be sharing our work on reducing animal use in fish tests for endocrine disruptor assessment and accelerating the development and impact of new approach methodologies (NAMs).

Thursday 18 April, 10.00 – 17.00, London
Join us to launch our Cardiovascular Network and accelerate the adoption of 3Rs approaches across the cardiovascular research community. The full agenda is now available. Alongside opportunities to network and form new collaborations, advice and support will be available from our funding team. Researchers from all career stages and sectors are welcome. 

Tuesday 30 April, 9.30 – 17.00, London
Explore the landscape of new approach methodologies (NAMs) in academia and industry at the NAMs Network launch event. Talks will cover taking NAMs from development to application, accelerating their adoption, changing the way we think about safety assessment and how CRACK IT Challenges are accelerating development and uptake

Thursday 23 May 2024, 9.00 – 11.00 (BST)
Our Experimental Design Assistant (EDA) tool helps researchers at any level design robust in vivo experiments. During this interactive session Dr Esther Pearl (NC3Rs Programme Manager for Experimental Design) will give a live demonstration of the EDA before answering your questions and providing personalised feedback as you design your own experiment. 

Wednesday 27 March, 14.00 – 15.00 (GMT)
The 3Hs Initiative aims to improve the lives of laboratory rodents through refined management approaches which impact on lifetime experience and cumulative suffering. The framework was developed by neuroscientists at the University of Bristol who have quantified animals' emotional experiences in response to refinements. This webinar will introduce the 3Hs concept and demonstrate a new 3Hs Initiative website and online training resources.

Monday 29 April, 14.00 – 17.00 (BST)
This online workshop will discuss the use of ultrasonic vocalisations (USV) a cheap, non-invasive and easy-to-use tool to investigate affective states in rats and other social processes in rodents, with a focus on using USV to understand and improve lab rodent welfare.

Tuesday 21 May – Thursday 23 May, Tübingen, Germany
The 3R-Center Tübingen for In vitro Models and Alternatives to Animal Testing and the Natural and Medical Sciences Institute are hosting the annual conference of the 3R-Network Baden-Württemberg with the theme 'Towards the future of biomedical and pharmaceutical research with organoid, organ-on-chip and in silico models'.