Latest news from the NC3Rs: September 2026

We have published recommendations to improve both animal welfare and regulatory efficiency in the project licence (PPL) application and assessment process. The NC3Rs was commissioned by the Home Office’s Animals in Science Regulation Policy Unit to undertake a comprehensive review of how the principles of the 3Rs are incorporated into the PPL application and assessment process. Our review, supported by extensive consultations with stakeholders, examined the structure, content and function of the current PPL form, how it is currently used and how effectively it supports the harm-benefit analysis that sits at the heart of UK legislation and the practical implementation of the 3Rs.

Developed through the NC3Rs STRATIS CRACK IT Challenge, a team at Loughborough University has developed a 3D human tissue model of traumatic skeletal muscle injury, complete with motor innervation and vascularisation, to replace the use of rodent injury models and allow regenerative therapies to be developed and tested entirely in human tissue. The technology is now available through Myomaker Bio, a contract research organisation spun out by the team. The Challenge was funded by the NC3Rs with co-funding by Dstl and EPSRC.

In the latest edition of Springer’s Xenopus Methods and Protocols, Esther Pearl (NC3Rs Experimental Design Programme Manager) has contributed to two chapters alongside experts from the European Xenopus Resource Centre. Both chapters include key refinements for the use of Xenopus such as environmental enrichment and welfare indicators at different life stages, alongside good breeding and colony management practices to reduce the number of frogs involved in research.

Wednesday 7 October, 18.00 – 19.30 (BST) 

This webinar hosted by the US National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine will focus on improving the quality of animal research through rigorous experimental design. Joining the panel of speakers, Esther Pearl will discuss experimental design and reporting resources from the NC3Rs – including the Experimental Design Assistant (EDA), the DRIVER recommendations and the ARRIVE guidelines – and how these can be used in practice to reduce the number of animals wasted in studies that do not add to the scientific knowledge base.

Thursday 22 October, 12.30 – 13.30 (BST)

Analgesia and anaesthesia are important refinements for laboratory animals that improve both welfare and scientific outcomes, yet their use in fish has historically been limited by misconceptions about the capacity of fish to feel pain. Join us for our upcoming welfare webinar where experts Lynne Sneddon and Sylvia Dimitriadou will explore the use of analgesia and anaesthesia in fishes, including adult and embryonic zebrafish.

Monday 23 November, 10.00 – 15.00
Birmingham, UK

The 6^th UK Focus on Severe Suffering meeting will feature presentations and interactive discussions focused on conducting a successful Retrospective Assessment, including exploring how they are currently conducted, identifying what works well alongside the challenges faced and sharing best practice. Participants will be able to exchange ideas and approaches to Retrospective Assessment and have the opportunity to define their own action points to implement at their establishments.