While I was on vacation I missed a fascinating story about how scientists at Harvard University and Caltech have created an artificial jellyfish - termed a medusoid - using rat heart cells on a silicone matrix in order to demonstrate that it is possible to reverse-engineer a muscular pump, as described in this informative report on CBC News. This … Continue reading Understanding Cyborg Jellyfish
Tag: understanding animal research
Dogs in Medical Research
A video clip from Understanding Animal Research, a UK organisation which tries to tackle some of the misunderstandings about animal research. This kind of open advocacy which allows people to see the conditions of animals in labs is an important step in winning and keeping public support for lifesaving medical research. Notice the use of … Continue reading Dogs in Medical Research
Fish for Science
Back in February I wrote about the prominent role of Zebrafish in the British Heart Foundation's Mending Broken Hearts campaign, an initiative that not only highlighted fascinating developments in regenerative medicine but also the degree to which the public attitude towards animal research has shifted in the past decade. One reason for the change in attitudes towards … Continue reading Fish for Science
A fish named Hope
If you have watched any British TV channels in the past week or two, you may have seen the excellent ads produced by the British Heart Foundation (BHF) as part of a major fundraising drive to support their new Mending Broken Hearts campaign. The Mending Broken Hearts campaign is a major new multidisciplinary initiative which … Continue reading A fish named Hope
Speaking Up: Who Does ‘No Comment’ Work For?
It is no secret that activist groups regularly aim for mainstream news coverage by producing sensationalized and misinformed stories about laboratory animals. Like other topics in science that are generally not well understood, animal research can be a relatively easy target for misrepresentation. This is particularly true when such stories are met with little challenge … Continue reading Speaking Up: Who Does ‘No Comment’ Work For?
Animal Research – Interview Technique
I would like to share an old news debate on animal research between Simon Festing (Chief Executive of Understanding Animal Research) and Nicky Gordon (Dr. Hadwen Trust): There is much that can be learned from Simon's interview technique. Have information on the benefits of animal research readily to hand - Simon looked ready to list … Continue reading Animal Research – Interview Technique
So what ARE conditions in labs like?
Conditions of animals in laboratories - video footage
Top Websites on Animal Research
There have been many new and old websites that cover the facts on animal research - many of which can be found in the links section. Here are some of the ones I've found particularly helpful and informative: Animal Research Info is possibly the most comprehensive source of information on the web regarding the role … Continue reading Top Websites on Animal Research
Speaking of Research 