Alternative methods to animal testing

To this end, applicable methods are to be developed and refined in line with the 3R principle:

• Replace: Development of new alternative methods to animal testing
  In its own laboratories, the Bf3R is developing cell and tissue culture as well as in vivo alternative model-based methods to replace animal experiments. In particular, these methods will be advanced by the use of modern imaging techniques at the ultrastructural level. The aim is to lay the foundations for the development of new alternative methods to animal experiments for basic research as well as toxicological assessment.
• Reduce: Development of methods to reduce the number of laboratory animals
  In addition to experimental research, new biometric approaches will be used to assess the use and number of animal experiments in order to develop new proposals for reducing the number of laboratory animals.
• Refine: Research into methods to reduce pain or suffering of laboratory animals
  The Bf3R is researching measures to reduce distress in all laboratory animal species and identifying objective criteria for assessing distress.