Latest news from the NC3Rs: November 2022

Do you have an idea for a research project that could replace, reduce or refine the use of animals in biological, medical or veterinary research?

Download the form via Je-S and submit it by 4pm, 10 January 2023. Awards are for up to 36 months and funded at 80% of the full economic cost (FEC).  

The NC3Rs funding team is available to answer any questions you may have: 3Rsgrants@nc3rs.org.uk 

The Macaque Website has had a refresh, improving the design and navigation and better showcasing the information throughout the site. The site is one of the biggest repositories of information and practical guidance on the natural history and behaviour of macaques, their care and management in captivity, and ways to assess their welfare. 

As part of our work to facilitate the wider uptake of non-animal replacements, we want to help researchers search for these technologies. As a first step we are running a survey to better understand what is currently being done and what gaps there are to fill. Please take 20 minutes to share your thoughts. 

Are you a dab hand at social media and producing visual assets that capture attention? Do you know your way around a CMS? We are looking for a digital content manager to identify opportunities for the dissemination of our work and coordinate the outputs across our digital channels. Interviews will take place in December.

A new article presents the key findings from our 2021 survey of vaccine and biotherapeutics manufacturers. The findings will help to inform the recommendations for wider integration of 3Rs approaches by the WHO in their guidance documents applicable to the quality control and batch testing of vaccines and biotherapeutics.

This testing uses large numbers of animals, but there are significant opportunities for the adoption of new testing approaches based on human biology and the latest advances in science and technology, which we are exploring in collaboration with the WHO and with funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

A team from aQuaTox-Solutions have been awarded funding to carry out Phase 2 of the Innovative Safety Assessment of Fish adverse Effects (SAFE) CRACK IT Challenge.

Having previously carried out Phase 1 proof-of-concept studies, the team will address the full Challenge deliverables in Phase 2, aiming to develop scalable bioassays that can replace in vivo fish studies in safety assessment.

Tuesday 22 November, 16.00 – 17.00 (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, including recent developments such as improved guidance on ANCOVA analysis, 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.

Thursday 15 December 2022, 14.00 – 17.00 (GMT)

Register now to hear about the opportunities that are currently available or being considered to minimise NHP use in drug development. This includes the work of various industry consortia (IQ DruSafe and NHP Reuse Working Group, BioSafe and EFPIA) on diverse topics. This webinar is relevant for regulatory and industry scientists interested in reducing the use of NHPs in drug development. 

Thursday 26 January 2023

Hosted by the Centre for Snakebite Research and Interventions at the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, this free online meeting will discuss the current snake venom lethality murine model, and potential improvements or a new model. It will consist of talks from experts in animal models, snakebite envenoming, drug regulation and antivenom manufacture and will finish with a panel discussion. 

This mini conference has been organised by NC3Rs project grant holder Dr Stuart Ainsworth.

Non-animal approaches in science: Towards sustainable innovation
May 2023, Ispra, Italy 

The EU Joint Research Center will hold their fourth summer school in summer 2023. 

The application process will open on 8 November for students and early career scientists (maximum four years after Masters or PhD) with a strong interest in non-animal approaches working in relevant fields of research and application.