What is animal research?
On this page
What is animal research?
What is the difference between animal research and animal testing?
Why animal research continues to be necessary
Regulation and law in the UK
Regulation and law in other territories
Animal care and welfare in the laboratory
Areas of animal research
Animal research statistics
Awards and prizes
What is animal research?
Animal research, or animal testing, is the scientific study of animals, usually in a laboratory, for the purpose of gaining new biological knowledge or solving specific medical, veterinary, or biological problems. Animals are also used in environmental and conservation research, namely research that seeks to protect the environment or preserve species.
More information in Areas of research.
What is the difference between animal research and animal testing?
Generally, animal testing is used to refer to any type of research that uses animals, but this is not technically accurate. Animal testing refers directly to toxicology testing, the process by which potential medicines are assessed for toxicity before they can be safely tested on humans, via clinical trials. Animal testing can also be used to refer to cosmetic testing on animals, however this was banned in the UK in 1999 and across the EU in 2006.
Animal research refers to all research that involves living animals, including toxicology.
Why animal research continues to be necessary
Scientific research using animals is vital to our continued and improved understanding of human and animal health. Animals are used to help us understand living organisms, study disease, and develop and test new medical treatments.
Animal research is also used to keep people, animals and the environment safe from new medicines and chemicals. Animal research is heavily regulated in the UK and can only take place with permission from the Home Office and when there is no other way to do the research.
New methods of research are constantly in development including non-animal methods such as organs on a chip, cell cultures, and computer models. However, at this time there is no method, singular or combined, which is capable of recreating the complexity of a whole living body.
More information in UAR’s position statement on animal research.
At UAR, we work on behalf of our 180+ supporters in the life sciences sector to make sure that there is factual and evidence-based information available to the public on how and why animals are used in scientific research.
For more information on UAR’s work see About us.
Regulation and law in the UK
Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 (ASPA)
There have been special controls on the use of laboratory animals in the UK since 1875. These have been revised and extended over the course of more than 140 years, with the addition of an expert advisory committee to the Home Secretary, additional layers of ethical review, strict quality standards for labs and researchers, and species-specific requirements for care, housing and handling.
The core piece of legislation governing experiments is the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 (ASPA). In 2012, ASPA was revised and updated to conform to European Directive 2010/63/EU on the use of animals in science, however this directive was itself heavily based on existing UK law.
For more information on ASPA and the regulation of animal testing in the UK see UK animal research regulation.
Experimental procedures and creation and breeding of laboratory animals
The term ‘procedure’, as defined by the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986, refers to any procedure applied to a protected animal which may cause pain, suffering or distress equivalent to or greater than the introduction of a hypodermic needle. In the UK, there are two categories of procedures, those for experimental purposes and those involved in the creation and breeding of genetically altered animals for scientific purposes. The term “experiments” refers to all procedures carried out on animals, both experimental and for breeding purposes.
For more information see Animal experiments.
Experiments on animals and their severity
Experiments are classified by their severity, which is determined by the level of pain, suffering and distress that the animal experienced during the procedure.
Sub-threshold: When a procedure did not cause suffering above the threshold for regulation, i.e. it was less than the level of pain, suffering, distress or lasting harm that is caused by inserting a hypodermic needle according to good veterinary practice.
Non-recovery: When the entire procedure takes place under general anaesthetic and the animal is humanely killed before waking up.
Mild: Any pain or suffering experienced was only slight or transitory and minor so that the animal returns to its normal state within a short period of time. For example, the equivalent of an injection or having a blood sample taken.
Moderate: The procedure caused a significant and easily detectable disturbance to an animal’s normal state, but this was not life-threatening. For example, surgery is carried out under general anaesthesia followed by painkillers during recovery.
Severe: The procedure caused a major departure from the animal’s usual state of health and well-being. This would usually include long-term disease processes where assistance with normal activities such as feeding and drinking were required, or where significant deficits in behaviours/activities persist. Animals found dead are commonly classified as severe as pre-mortality suffering often cannot be assessed. Most severe procedures arise in regulatory testing such as the evaluation of the toxicity of drugs.
For more information on the statistics of animal experiments including their severity, see Animal Statistics.
The 3Rs
The guiding principles underpinning the humane use of animals in scientific research are called the 3Rs. Any researcher planning to use animals in their studies must first show why there is no alternative and what will be done to minimise the number and suffering of animals. This includes:
-
Replace the use of animals with alternative techniques or avoid the use of animals altogether.
-
Reduce the number of animals used to a minimum, to obtain information from fewer animals or more information from the same number of animals.
-
Refine the way experiments are carried out, to make sure animals suffer as little as possible. This includes better housing and improvements to procedures which minimise pain and suffering and/or improve animal welfare.
For more information see 3Rs.
Regulation and law in other territories
The European Union - European Directive 2010/63
Heavily based on the UK’s Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 (ASPA), The European Directive was finalised and signed on 22 September 2010. It was formally published in the Official Journal of the European Union on the 20 October 2010 and was given its final name: 2010/63/EU. The Directive came into force across the EU on 1 January 2013.
European Directive 2010/63 does not apply to the UK following our exit from the EU however, ASPA was revised in 2012 to conform to the directive.
For more information see European Directive 2010/63.
For more information on animal research across Europe see EARA.eu
North America – Animal Welfare Act (AWA)
Regulations around animal testing vary by continent, country, and state. For example, great apes such as chimpanzees and gorillas cannot be used in UK research as they are banned, but they can be used in the USA in special cases. In the USA, experiments on animals are regulated under the Animal Welfare Act.
For more information on the regulations around animal testing in North America see ampprogress.org and fbresearch.org.
Oceania - The Australian Code for the Care and Use of Animals for Scientific Purposes and the New Zealand Animal Welfare Act 1999
Oceania refers to Australia and New Zealand, both of which have their own strict regulations in place regarding animal research, The Australian Code for the Care and Use of Animals for Scientific Purposes, and the Animal Welfare Act 1999.
For more information on the regulations around animal testing in Oceania see uaroceania.org.
Animal care and welfare in the laboratory
The welfare of animals in scientific research is strictly regulated in the UK under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986. In the laboratory, specially trained animal care staff known as Animal Technicians are employed to look after the animals. Animal Techs undergo a series of qualifications specifically designed to equip staff with the most current knowledge in laboratory animal welfare.
For more information see Animal Technicians and Animal Care and Welfare.
For information on individual animal species see Animals in research.
Regulated by the UK Home Office, laboratories in the UK are subject to regular, unannounced, inspections by animal welfare officials. Any breaches in welfare standards or unnecessary suffering of animals will be reported to the government and appropriate action will be taken.
The Home Office publishes an annual report that includes welfare breaches for that year and the subsequent action taken.
For more information see Regulation.
Areas of animal research
Basic research - The majority of experimental research that uses animals is carried out to expand our knowledge of living organisms and the environment
Applied or translational research – Translational research is 'the process of applying ideas, insights, and discoveries generated through basic scientific inquiry to the treatment or prevention of human disease'.
Regulatory research – Chemicals in everyday use, such as medicines, household products, and those used in manufacturing, plant protection products, must be tested to make sure they are as safe and effective for people, animals and the environment.
Creation and breeding of genetically altered animals – This involves the breeding of animals whose genes have mutated or have been modified. These animals are used to produce genetically altered offspring for use in experimental procedures for the above areas of research.
Read more about the primary areas of animal research in Areas of research.
Animal research for human health
A significant amount of animal research is carried out for the purpose of studying human and animal diseases. In some cases, these are diseases that are shared by humans and animals, but animals can also be used to study diseases that do not occur naturally in their species. Animals can be used to ‘model’ specific aspects of a disease through breeding, genetic modification, surgery, and diet. Animals that have been altered to model elements of human disease are referred to as “animal models”.
Find out how animals have been used to improve our understanding of human disease and develop treatments for people in Researching disease.
For information on individual animal species see Animals used in research and Human health.
Animal research for animal health
Medicines and vaccines for pets and livestock rely just as much on animal research as human medicines. The majority of the medicines that vets prescribe are actually derived from those used in humans.
Many of the drugs and procedures used to treat people are equally effective in animals. The vet can use the same antibiotics and antiseptics, the same hormones, tranquillisers, local anaesthetics and general anaesthetics as doctors.
There are some treatments used exclusively in veterinary medicine, such as drugs or vaccines used against parasitic diseases that only affect a particular animal species.
Naturally, any drug or treatment offered by a veterinary practice must first be assessed for safety using laboratory animals.
For more information see Animal health.
Cosmetic testing on animals
In the UK and across the EU, testing cosmetic products or their ingredients on animals is banned. This means that it is illegal to sell or market a cosmetic product if animal testing has taken place on the finished cosmetic or its ingredients before being sold in the EU.
A ban on animal-tested cosmetic products was first implemented in the UK in 1998 for finished cosmetic products and ‘ingredients intended primarily for “vanity” products. The EU ban on animal-tested cosmetic products was first passed in 1993 with the full ban taking effect in 2013.
For more information on Cosmetic testing on animals see Cosmetic testing.
Animal research statistics
Under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986, every regulated procedure on a ‘protected animal’ carried out in Great Britain must be counted - this includes all vertebrate species (except those in the first half of foetal, larval, embryonic stage) and cephalopods (e.g. octopuses, squid and cuttlefish). These figures are published annually in an annual report by the Home Office. Northern Ireland counts its animal research statistics separately and an annual report is produced by the Department of Health for Northern Ireland.
In 2022, the government reported that 2.7 million procedures were carried out in Great Britain, 10% less than in 2021. Half of these procedures were carried out by ten organisations.
Over 97% of procedures were carried out on mice, fish, rats and birds whereas cats, dogs and primates accounted for only 0.2% of all procedures. 80% of procedures caused similar pain (or less) than an injection.
For the latest statistics see Animal Statistics.
Awards and prizes
The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine is awarded yearly by the Nobel Assembly at the Karolinska Institute for outstanding discoveries in physiology or medicine.
Of the 114 Nobel Prizes that have been awarded for research into Physiology and Medicine, more than 80% have involved animal testing. The majority of these groundbreaking studies relied on the use of mice and rats to make their discoveries.
For more information see Nobel Prizes.
Other notable prizes include:
