General Database Information
The Swiss 3R Competence Centre (3RCC) promotes the 3Rs principle (replacement, reduction and refinement of animal experimentation) among the scientific community and the public. To facilitate the development and implementation of effective 3R methods and improve animal welfare it challenges research paradigms and creates innovative alternatives to animal use.
AALAS is an association of professionals that advances responsible laboratory animal care and use to benefit people and animals.
Vaccination of animals against disease protects them from suffering. However, this comes with an animal welfare cost - the safety and efficacy of vaccines is assessed in experimental animals and the tests involved can cause significant pain and distress. There is an ethical dilemma in protecting one set of animals at the expense of others but implementation of the 3Rs can help to resolve this. The research animals department works with researchers involved in vaccine testing and regulators to promote the 3Rs in this important area.
Initiate activities that may lead to the immediate implementation of the 3Rs.
Three Rs Resources
The Australian and New Zealand Council for the Care of Animals in Research and Teaching (ANZCCART) and the Ministry for Primary Industries have produced a series of booklets on the application of the three Rs (replacement, reduction and refinement) in the use of animals in research and teaching.
- Cell-based Disease Models (replacement)
- Computer Assisted Learning (replacement)
- Mannequins and Dummies (replacement)
- Alternatives to shellfish toxicity testing (replacement)
- Fireflies to the rescue (reduction)
- Mathematical models (reduction)
- Tissue sharing (reduction)
- Simple ingenuity (refinement)
- Non-Invasive Methods (refinement)
- Living syringes (refinement)
- Oil emulsified gels (refinement)
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