Latest news from the NC3Rs: May 2022

A new collaboration between the BBSRC and NC3Rs will focus on supporting the development and use of next generation non‑animal technologies in bioscience research as alternatives to in vivo models. Through this call we aim to enhance the capacity of and confidence in non‑animal technologies, as well as supporting researchers to form collaborations with SMEs and industrial partners.

This is a pre‑announcement; the application form will be available on Je‑S on Thursday 23 June and guidance will be available in early June via our website. Keep an eye on our next newsletter, Twitter or LinkedIn for further details.

Our Regional Programme Managers work with research institutions to put the 3Rs into practice through expert advice and dedicated support for a variety of stakeholders. We are currently recruiting maternity cover (12 months) to work with University College London, the Royal Veterinary College and the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. Applicants should have at least three years’ postdoctoral experience and a demonstrable commitment to the 3Rs.

A new issue of Tox News, providing updates on our toxicology and regulatory sciences programme, is available to read online. As well as details of upcoming events where NC3Rs staff will be presenting their work, this issue includes links to catch up on relevant webinars and recent publications on applying the 3Rs within toxicology and regulatory studies.

3 Minute 3Rs is the podcast from LabAnimal, the NA3RsC and the NC3Rs that gives you a quick look at three 3Rs research papers every month. Recent topics have included enrichment for rodents, reproducibility and non‑animal technologies across research, drug development and safety assessment. The podcast is available wherever you like to listen, including Apple Podcasts and Spotify – just search for “3 Minute 3Rs”.

We have awarded £50k to Active Needle Technology Ltd through our Business Growth Scheme to support the commercial opportunities arising from their precise injection system. The technology, developed as part of the Sharp and to the Point CRACK IT Challenge, permits rapid and easy needle exchange, with high accuracy and minimal injectate waste. This refinement in substance delivery reduces the chance of both cross‑contamination and the needle being dulled, minimising pain and discomfort and improving animal welfare.

If you have data from a smaller piece of work completed as part of your NC3Rs award, you can get credit for your research by publishing it in a Brief Report on our gateway. Our current call ends on Wednesday 15 June – we will cover Article Processing Charges for Brief Reports submitted under this call.

We have a range of resources, from guidance to practical workshops, to guide you through the process. Our next workshop on Thursday 19 May will focus on the results and discussion sections, while our final workshop on Tuesday 7 June will help you make sure your draft is submission ready. You can also arrange a call with a member of the NC3Rs team via 3rsgrants@nc3rs.org.uk to discuss the article type or publication process.

Our Experimental Design Assistant (EDA) tool can help researchers at any level design robust in vivo experiments. Our series of virtual demonstrations of the EDA continues on Thursday 26 May. Following a presentation, Dr Nathalie Percie du Sert, NC3Rs Head of Experimental Design and Reporting, 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.

Tuesday 28 June, 1–4pm (BST)

We are hosting a webinar that will showcase ongoing and new initiatives that replace, reduce and refine fish acute toxicity studies. As well as using large numbers of animals, these tests are associated with significant suffering as they focus on determining lethal doses. The webinar will feature presentations on the NC3Rs’ work in this area, approaches to replace the use of late life stage animals, and a project identifying opportunities to reduce animal use in regulatory fish testing.

This webinar features presentations by academic and industry experts working in preclinical diabetes, fasting induced daily torpor, and regulatory toxicology, addressing the scientific and welfare implications of restricting food. It shares how shorter, refined food restriction paradigms, or removing food restriction altogether, can improve welfare and deliver more reliable and reproducible data. All academic, regulatory and industry scientists whose work involves food restriction in rodents are encouraged to catch up on the recording.

Tuesday 22–Wednesday 23 November, Birmingham

LASA will be holding its Annual Conference as a face to face meeting this year, with a scientific programme based on the theme of Innovations and Technologies for Welfare and Research Excellence. Topics covered will include animal care and welfare, discovery and translational science, breeding and husbandry, training and education, 3Rs innovations and discussions on regulatory and policy frameworks. As well as the scientific programme, the conference will feature a trade exhibition and programme of social events.

Do you currently work with research mice either hands on or hands off? Researchers at the University of Michigan and the NA3RsC would like to learn about your attitudes towards and knowledge of picking up mice, and how this is implemented in your facility. They invite you to take ten minutes to participate in their research survey, as well as a follow up survey in May 2023. The closing date to contribute is Saturday 21 May.

If you have a BSc but have yet to achieve your PhD, and you are based in the EU or UK, this year's European Partnership for Alternatives (EPAA) Student Grants can support you to attend a high profile scientific event. Depending on the event you wish to attend, the following deadlines apply:

• International Congress of Toxicology: 4 July 
• EUSAAT: 11 July 
• ESTIV: 15 July