Research and activities
Replacement
Replacement stands for any method, approach and strategy not using living animals. The most informative replacement methods are those predicting best human pathophysiological effects. The methods are applicable to basic and applied biomedical science, education and toxicology covering models predicting effects in healthy and diseased tissues and organs.
Reduction
The reduction of laboratory animal numbers requires that the information acquired from animal research is exploited as efficiently as possible. All studies must be appropriately designed, and they must favour research techniques that enable reliable results with the use of minimum number of animals.
Refinement
In the context of animal research, refinement refers to caring for and experimenting on animals in the best way possible. The aim is to reduce the pain and harm experienced by the animal prior to, during and after a study, hence improving the animal’s welfare and quality of life.