NC3Rs

A timeline of the key phases of work that led to development of the new OCED guidance document: global survey (2021-2023), data review (2023), international workshop (2024), decision-making tool (2024), OECD Test Guidelines workplan (2024-2026).

The OECD has agreed to develop new guidance that will reduce the number of fish used in some environmental toxicology studies. This is a result of work led by the NC3Rs and collaborators to understand and solve challenges in vitellogenin assessment.

Find out more: nc3rs.org.uk/news/new-int...

Dr Esther Pearl, NC3Rs Programme Manager for Experimental Design, presenting about experimental rigour in animal research.

Join @drejpearl.bsky.social at @unistrathclyde.bsky.social 3Rs day next week for an interactive workshop on using the Experimental Design Assistant to design rigorous in vivo experiments, with live support and guidance on hand.

📅 Friday 5 December
👉 Find out more: nc3rs.org.uk/events/unive...

Registration is now closed. A recording of the webinar will be made available in our 3Rs resource library in due course: nc3rs.org.uk/3rs-resources

The strategy also recognises that animal research will remain important for years to come, acknowledging the need for animal research in parallel with the drive, coordination & funding required to achieve the ethical, scientific & economic benefits that innovations in animal alternatives can bring.

There are clear actions outlined in the strategy to change the whole research ecosystem—from funders and universities to publishers and regulators—to enable rapid exploitation of scientific and technological opportunities to minimise reliance on animals in research.

Our Chief Executive Vicky Robinson appears in @resprofnews.bsky.social today, in an opinion piece focusing on the UK government's ambitious strategy to replace the use of animals in research and testing: www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-v....

An in vitro assay. A liquid is being pipetted into a 96-well plate.

📢 Webinar: Data-driven design of fish cell line-based reproductive toxicity assays
📅 Tuesday 9 December, 14.00 – 15.00 (GMT)
👉 nc3rs.org.uk/events/data-...

Learn about in vitro assays to replace some in vivo fish tests in environmental risk assessment, developed through our SAFE CRACK IT Challenge.

A collage of presentation slides from the LASA annual conference 3Rs session.

At the @lasa-uk.bsky.social conference this week Jess Eddy shared NC3Rs resources on evaluating environmental enrichment: nc3rs.org.uk/3rs-resource...

Other talks in a great 3Rs session covered best practice in oncology, positive welfare science, zebrafish enrichment and rodent housing refinements.

Read more about Alessio's work:

- 2025 Nature paper: www.nature.com/articles/s41...

- 2016 Fellowship: nc3rs.org.uk/our-portfoli...

- 2019 Skills and knowledge transfer award: nc3rs.org.uk/our-portfoli...

- 2023 Studentship: nc3rs.org.uk/our-portfoli...

Alessio presents his work at Pint of Science

It has been great to work with Alessio over the years, supporting the development of his alternative model and dissemination to other labs. It is fantastic to see the work recognised by AALAC International through their Global Award, highlighting its strong 3Rs impacts and future potential.

The transparent wing of the Drosophila fruit fly.

Alessio’s work investigates the role of mitochondria in neuronal ageing and neurodegenerative diseases using a Drosophila model. By taking advantage of the fly’s translucent wings, intracellular interactions can be seen through non-invasive visualisation, replacing the use of some mouse models.

Global 3Rs Winners LEARN MORE / APPLY 2025 Award Winners ASIA-PACIFIC Bing Zhou, Ph.D., M.D. “Amelioration of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease by inhibiting the deubiquitylating enzyme RPN11” Cell Metabolism Sha

Congratulations to @alessiovagnoni.bsky.social who has been announced as a recipient of this year’s AAALAC International Global 3Rs Award recognising his ongoing work in advancing the 3Rs: www.aaalac.org/awards/globa...

If you would like to receive an email when the next issue is published, please email us at tech3Rs@nc3rs.org.uk with the subject line "Subscribe".

We hear from two Tech3Rs champions about how they reduced aggression in male CD-1 mice by evaluating different combinations of environmental enrichment and highlight 3Rs papers showcasing simple approaches to increase environmental complexity for improved welfare across different species.

In this issue we share the importance of animal technicians in helping to produce reliable results and speak to Katherine Pye about how her experiences gained as a research technician at the University of Exeter helped to shape her career journey.

The latest issue of Tech3Rs is out now. Image shows a white mouse emerging from carboard tube, with shredding cardboard and a soft looking pad of materials nearby.

The latest issue of Tech3Rs, our newsletter for animal technicians, has been published: nc3rs.org.uk/3rs-resource...

While the call primarily focused on human health benefits, our expertise ensured that the animal replacement potential of the work was considered as part of the grant assessment process. We look forward to working with the teams to ensure that the 3Rs impacts of these models are exploited.

NC3Rs grant holders receive funding in MRC call £15.9M awarded to develop human in vitro models of complex disease.

The NC3Rs has a strong track record in investing in in vitro models of human disease that replace the use of animals. We have recently partnered with the MRC, Wellcome and Innovate UK on a £15.9M funding call to develop human in vitro models of complex disease.
nc3rs.org.uk/news/nc3rs-g...

Replacing animals in science strategy The strategy will help create, test, and adopt alternative methods to animal testing so we can work towards phasing out the use of animals in all but exceptional circumstances.

The full strategy text is now available: www.gov.uk/government/p...

"The strategy is ambitious and will ensure that the UK maintains its world leading position. The NC3Rs is at the heart of delivering the strategy and I am excited about the opportunities to turn the ambitions into reality."

Dr Vicky Robinson, Chief Executive, NC3Rs

Our Chief Executive Vicky Robinson welcomed the strategy:

"The new government strategy will help to speed up efforts to replace animal research and testing, while also recognising the continued need for high standards of animal welfare where alternative methods currently do not exist."

Animal testing to be phased out faster as UK unveils roadmap for alternative methods New plan backs researchers to seize on new and developing opportunities to phase out animal tests with specific commitments for the coming years.

Today the UK government has released a strategy to support the development, validation and uptake of alternative methods.

Read more: www.gov.uk/government/n...

❗Survey deadline extended: Friday 12 December❗

If you have experience of the monocyte activation test as a replacement for the rabbit pyrogen test, please take 30 minutes to share your insights: nc3rs.org.uk/our-portfoli...

The welfare webinar logo alongside two photographs of animal technicians interacting with animals (pigs and beagles).

Our next welfare webinar will focus on using positive reinforcement techniques to improve the welfare of pigs and dogs in research by encouraging voluntary cooperation with procedures and reducing stress.

📅 Thursday 27 November, 12.30 – 13.30 (GMT)

👉 Register: nc3rs.org.uk/events/welfa...

The Home Cage Analyser system set up to monitor a cage of rats.

New publication: Home-cage monitoring to refine and reduce animal use in drug safety testing

A cross-sector collaboration demonstrates that non-invasive, continuous monitoring of rodent behaviour improves detection of central nervous system side effects for new drugs.
👉 nc3rs.org.uk/news/home-ca...

⏳ Pyrogenicity testing survey closing on Thursday 7 November.

Please take 30 minutes to share your insights into the monocyte activation test and support our work to drive wider adoption of non-animal approaches in biologics quality control testing.

Take the survey: nc3rs.org.uk/our-portfoli...

The Experimental Design Assistant: From research planning to training tool A national training initiative in France is using the EDA to embed robust experimental design into real-world research practice.

@inserm.fr have reached approaching 1,000 researchers with a training course that uses the NC3Rs Experimental Design Assistant (EDA) to teach best practice for experimental design of in vivo studies.

Learn more in our interview with the organiser behind Parcours-EDA: nc3rs.org.uk/news/experim...

A quote from Dr Vicky Robinson, NC3Rs Chief Executive: As always the release of the annual statistics on animal procedures presents an interesting snapshot of animal use in Great Britain. The continuing downward trend in the number of procedures is influenced by a range of factors including the efforts of the scientific community to find alternative methods, changes in scientific trends and investment decisions on where research is placed. In recent times there has been a significant uptick in efforts to replace the use of animals globally with many governments and research organisations increasing their commitments to technologies that replace the use of animals. The UK has long been at the forefront of these efforts and it is essential given the scientific, economic and societal benefits that this position is maintained. We are looking forward to the forthcoming UK government plan on alternative methods and are excited about the role that the NC3Rs can play in the delivery of this, given our expertise, networks and partnerships with key industry, academic and regulatory organisations.

Our Chief Executive Vicky Robinson provided comment on the statistics of scientific procedures on animals carried out in Great Britain in 2024, released today.

Read the report from the Home Office: www.gov.uk/government/s...

Graphic showing people discussing work, the cover of the Fourth Edition of The IACUC Handbook and the chaptername: Research reproducibility and the role of the IACUC.

NC3Rs staff have co-authored a new chapter in the fourth edition of the IACUC Handbook to support ethical review bodies assess the reliability of animal research. It includes practical support to avoid animals being wasted in studies that produce unreliable results: nc3rs.org.uk/news/conside...

Anthony Holmes, NC3Rs Director of Science and Technology, chairing the Business Interaction Vouchers in-person networking event.

Two delegates in discussion at the Business Interaction Vouchers in-person networking event.

A cross-sector panel discussing academic-industry collaboration at the Business Interaction Vouchers in-person networking event.

Two delegates discussing a scientific poster at the Business Interaction Vouchers in-person networking event.

⏳ NC3Rs-BBSRC Business Interaction Vouchers application deadline approaching: 16.00, Tuesday 4 November.

Apply for up to £25k to support industry-academic collaborations that advance 3Rs approaches in oncology, cardiovascular science and new approach methodologies: nc3rs.org.uk/our-funding-...