New guidelines on animal research

The MRC, BBSRC, NERC and the Wellcome Trust have produced new collaborative guidelines on conduct relating to the use of animals in research. The guidelines outline the legal controls on using animals in research and details how the researchers should apply the 3Rs - replacement, refinement and reduction. Dr Mark Prescott, programme manager at the National Center for the Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animals in research (NC3Rs) believes, '"The guidelines have teeth because they are linked to funding... If you put an application in, and the referees and the review panel of the funding body are not confident that you are applying the guidelines - and you can't address their concerns - they won't support the work"'.

Read the full article from THES

The National Center for the Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animals in research website