Speaking of Research has considerable concerns about the wealth of information that has been removed from the USDA website in the last week. The USDA has removed access to an online database that allowed the public to easily obtain documents involving the Horse Protection Act (HPA) and the Animal Welfare Act (AWA).This information includes the … Continue reading The USDA’s removal of information about animal research is a step backwards for transparency
Germany’s animal research in numbers for 2015
The statistics for animal research conducted in Germany in 2015 were submitted to the European Commission last week. We have summarised the data below. We compare that to the 2014 statistics also available on their website. Germany used 2,799,961 animals in 2015, with an overall decrease (15.5%) in animal use when compared to 2014. Similar … Continue reading Germany’s animal research in numbers for 2015
Special Issue of Primate Journal Focuses Solely on Non-Human Primate Well-Being
This month, the American Journal of Primatology published a freely-available Special Issue entitled, “Non-Human Primate Well-Being.” The entire issue is dedicated to the physical, psychological and physiological well-being of laboratory-housed non-human primates, and is notable for its cross-facilities studies as well as for the diversity of primate species that are represented, including rhesus and pigtailed … Continue reading Special Issue of Primate Journal Focuses Solely on Non-Human Primate Well-Being
Celebrating the life of Oliver Smithies
In 2008 I was honoured to meet Dr Oliver Smithies at the eponymous Smithies -Maeda Laboratories at the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill. I was invited to speak to him, and members of his laboratory about the importance of outreach on the animal research issue. Despite the prestige of a Nobel Prize (which … Continue reading Celebrating the life of Oliver Smithies
Looking Back, Looking Forward – Welcoming in 2017
Major scientific awards in 2016 showed the important role of animal models. The Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine celebrated Dr Yoshinori Ohsumi’s work on yeast and mice, which helped him uncover the “mechanisms of autophagy”. A few weeks earlier the Lasker Awards highlighted the work in numerous animal models including frogs, rabbits and primates, … Continue reading Looking Back, Looking Forward – Welcoming in 2017
The Netherlands publishes 2015 animal research statistics
There were 479,580 procedures on animals in the Netherlands for scientific purposes in 2015, down almost 15% from the previous year. This was according to the latest report by the Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (Nederlandse Voedsel- en Warenautoriteit, NVWA). There were falls in the number of most species used, with the exception of rats … Continue reading The Netherlands publishes 2015 animal research statistics
New Zealand publishes statistics showing use of animals in research in 2015
Today, the Ministry for Primary Industries in New Zealand published its 2015 annual report on “Statistics on the Use of Animals in Research, Testing and Teaching”. It shows the number of animals used in research in 2015 was 225,310, down 27% from the previous year. While the fall in animals used seems very large, the … Continue reading New Zealand publishes statistics showing use of animals in research in 2015
Why I am proud to be a Registered Veterinary Technician in animal research
Christine Archer is a registered veterinary technician at the University of Ottawa in Ontario, Canada. She has worked in animal research for over seven years. She currently works with aquatic animals and reptiles in biological research. In this post, Christine looks at the interests and motivations that led her to become a laboratory animal technician, … Continue reading Why I am proud to be a Registered Veterinary Technician in animal research
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