Animal welfare & alternatives

Committing to the three Rs

The UK Home Office this morning agreed arrangements to deliver two Coalition commitments relating to the use of animals in scientific research

Polar bears and brown bears interbred

A genetic study of living and the ancient remains of polar and brown bears has revealed that they interbred during the last ice age and that modern polar bears are descended on the female side from brown bears that lived in Ireland.

But can they suffer?

'The question is not can they reason nor can they talk, but rather can they suffer?' Jeremy Bentham

Vulture decline slows

The ban on a veterinary medicine which caused an unprecedented decline in Asian vulture populations has shown the first signs of progress.

Creation of new Animal Welfare Centre in Scotland

The Scottish Agricultural College (SAC) is to coordinate a major, new, EU funded, research project to create a Centre of Excellence in Animal Welfare Science.

European Chemical Agency call for animal test data

Chemical safety in Europe is regulated in part by REACH*.

#WW Wednesday Web award - Smallpox Through Time

In Elizabethan times smallpox killed more people than TB, leprosy, plague and syphilis combined.

Virtual rats' whiskers

A new computer model of rats' whiskers is helping scientists understand how rats process the sense of touch.

European chemicals industry to develop non-animal toxicity tests

The European Chemical Industry Council (Cefic) has launched a £450,000 research project into finding non-animal methods of toxicity testing.

Self-doubting monkeys

New research suggests macaques experience self-doubt and uncertainty when making decisions.

Black-footed kittens born through IVF

IVF has helped millions of couples achieve pregnancy, and not only in humans: it was with IVF that scientists recently produced these amazingly cute kittens.

UK scientist wins prize for improving animal welfare

Each year the National Centre for the Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research (NC3Rs) awards a prize for innovative research which has an impact on the use of animals in life sciences.

Artificial intestine reduces animal tests

An artificial human digestive system is replacing the use of animals in some tests to see how medicines are absorbed, The Times reported last week.

Focus on fluorescent filming

The Scientist reported on its top ten life-science innovations for 2010 this week.

How much effort on alternatives? The answer is a lot

Our attention was drawn this week to a relatively new European initiative called AXLR8, a consortium which aims to accelerate progress in developing alternatives to animals for safety testing.