Category Research project
  • Alternativmethoden zum Tierversuch

Refinement Reference Center

Project status
In Progress
Project start
Apr 2025
Project end
Mar 2028
Acronym
RRC
Department
Deutsches Zentrum zum Schutz von Versuchstieren und experimentelle Toxikologie
Website
https://www.bf3r.de/forschung/refine/

Description and Objective

In recent years, numerous suggestions for improving experimental designs and housing conditions for laboratory animals have been developed. However, there are often reservations about innovations with regard to their practicality and financial viability. Furthermore, there are concerns that changing housing and experimental conditions could negatively affect the reproducibility of experimental results. Although there are hardly any scientifically reliable results available on this subject, these concerns prevent the timely implementation of refinement. The RRC aims to provide a sound scientific basis for the implementation of refinement in everyday practice. On this basis, a practical husbandry concept with measurable benefits for animal welfare will be developed. By conducting various behavioural tests and assessing the immunological phenotype and immune resilience of the animals, the translational value of this form of husbandry using current refinement strategies will be investigated in comparison to the current standard conditions, and practical measures for improving animal welfare will be derived from this. At the end of the project phase, the design plans for the refinement system will be published and training courses on the system will be held on site at the BfRshort forGerman Federal Institute for Risk Assessment. The validation of the husbandry system will be accompanied by a questionnaire study aimed at scientists and animal caretakers.
Type of project

Third-party funded project

Research focus

Alternativmethoden zum Tierversuch

Organisational units and partners

Lead specialist group: Verhalten von Versuchstieren und Refinement (92)
Contact persons: Dr. Kai Diederich
External partner: Universitätsklinikum Essen (AöR)

Funding body and grant number

Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung
03LW0718K

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