Opponents of animal research often portray two of the pioneers of experimental physiology, François Magendie (1783-1855) and his student Claude Bernard (1813-1878), as deranged, vicious, and sadistic individuals who derived pleasure in harming animals. Moral philosophers Peter Singer and Lori Gruen convey this sort of message in their book “Animal Liberation: A graphic guide”. A … Continue reading Crash course in medical history
Category: Science News
Responsible Antibody Production
Antibodies Part 2 (read Part 1 here) As noted in our previous post, there are many promising uses for antibodies. Therefore, it is no wonder that antibody production is big business. The Scientist reported that revenues from antibody sales were over $1.6 billion in 2011. In the United States, antibody producers that use regulated species … Continue reading Responsible Antibody Production
Pregnancy Kits to Ebola Treatment: Medical Tests & Disease Treatments Depend on Animal Products
Antibodies Part 1 There has been considerable discussion on this website about the use of animal studies to develop new medical treatments. But some animal-derived products such as antibodies also play a crucial role in diagnostic tests for some diseases and targeted treatments for others. In the last week, antibodies hit the front pages of … Continue reading Pregnancy Kits to Ebola Treatment: Medical Tests & Disease Treatments Depend on Animal Products
Behaviourists Defend Basic Science
Basic science is the foundation of all applied science. Because we cannot predict which basic science projects will turn into an application, we must cast a wide net
Harlow Dead, Bioethicists Outraged
The philosophy and bioethics community was rocked and in turmoil Friday when they learned that groundbreaking experimental psychologist Professor Harry Harlow had died over 30 years ago. Harlow's iconic studies of mother and infant monkeys have endured for decades as the centerpiece of philosophical debate and animal rights campaigns. With news of his death, philosophers … Continue reading Harlow Dead, Bioethicists Outraged
Israel provides animal research statistics for 2013
Number of animals used in research in Israel from 2010 to 2013.
Undermining a cornerstone of medical research – examining a biased commentary on animal studies
Medical sociologist, Pandora Pound, and epidemiologist, Michael Bracken, recently wrote an opinion piece entitled "Is animal research sufficiently evidence based to be a cornerstone of biomedical research?" for the British Medical Journal. The article was chosen as the editor’s choice, leading to an editorial by the editor in chief, Fiona Godlee. Pound and Bracken criticise … Continue reading Undermining a cornerstone of medical research – examining a biased commentary on animal studies
Kicking off a new era for neuroprosthetics, or just the warm-up?
Tonight, if everything goes according to plan, a young person will stand up in front of a global audience numbering in the hundreds of millions, walk a few paces, and kick a football. This by itself may not seem remarkable, after all this is the opening ceremony of the World Cup, but for the Miguel … Continue reading Kicking off a new era for neuroprosthetics, or just the warm-up?
Speaking of Research 