UK scientist wins NC3Rs prize
For improving the welfare of laboratory mice
Prizewinner Jane Hurst's research has shown that a new way of handling laboratory mice can improve their welfare and the quality of the science they are used for.
Laboratory mice are usually picked up by their tails, which according to Hurst's study causes high levels of anxiety and stress to the animals that can influence the outcome of experiments. By simply catching the mice using a plastic tunnel or cupped hands anxiety can be greatly reduced.
The number of mice used in the UK annually is approximately 2.6 million.
Hurst, from the University of Liverpool, received a £10,000 prize grant, which is sponsored by GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), plus a personal award of £1,000. She plans to use the prize to provide training for scientists and animal care staff on handling methods and also to assess the effects of different handling methods on stress physiology.
‘I hope our research will be universally implemented across laboratories to improve animal welfare for all mice and to minimise the effects of handling on experiments. This is a small change that is easily applied and will make a big difference to animal welfare,’ she said.
The NC3Rs prize recognises and rewards excellence in research that helps to reduce the number and suffering of animals used for scientific purposes.
The Wellcome Trust and NC3Rs also funded the research.
The research was published in Nature Methods magazine.
You may also like
Research & Development
Naobios, Nuvonis and the European Vaccine Initiative collaborate to manufacture influenza challenge agent
Working with the Inno4Vac consortium, Naobios will leverage Nuvonis’s Vero Cell Bank to support the development of a controlled human infection model based on the influenza virus A(H3N2)
Research & Development
Wegovy cuts risk of heart attack, stroke or death by 57% compared with tirzepatide
Study adds to growing evidence suggesting that the heart-protective benefits seen with Wegovy are specific to the semaglutide molecule and therefore cannot be extended to other GLP-1 or GIP/GLP-1-based treatments
You need to be a subscriber to read this article.
Click here to find out more.
Click here to find out more.
Research & Development
Hamilton Health Sciences chosen for BirchBioMed burn scar treatment trial
BirchBioMed announces Hamilton Health Sciences’ (HHS) Centre for Burn Research in Ontario as the first contracted clinical trial site for its Phase II/III randomised study of the naturally based compound: FS2.
Research & Development
Indena and TCG GreenChem join forces to advance next-generation ADC technologies
Indena and TCG GreenChem are pleased to announce a new strategic collaboration aimed at accelerating the development of innovative and market-ready payload-linkers: the key component of antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs)