This June 15th, the Barcelona Biomedical Research Park (PRBB) joins the European Animal Research Association (EARA) campaign “Be Open about Animal Research Day” (#BOARD23): a 24-hour global social media campaign to proactive communicate about the use of animals in research.
In the last year, the PRBB has organised several activities to explain the importance – and the limitations – of using animal models, such as mice or zebrafish, for biomedical research.
In total, nearly 200 people have learned about the importance, regulations and limiatations of the use of animals in research from the activities organised at the PRBB
In the summer 2022 we published an interesting interview to Arnau Busquets, researcher at the Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute (IMIM) and outspoken about the importance of this topic (“if the animal is not well, the results will not be valid, so scientists are the first ones interested in animal welfare“, he says).
Later in October, during the park’s open day – an event in which more than 1,200 people came to visit laboratories, listen to talks and do experiments -between 80 and 100 citizens were able to learn about the work done at the animal facilities.
The volunteers, scientists who do their research at the PRBB using mice and zebrafish models, explained how this type of research is very controlled, how it has to be always justified, and has to follow the 3Rs:
- Replace the animal, if possible, by other means such as in vitro studies, computational studies, organoids, etc. or by a simpler animal
- Reduce the number of animals used, while ensuring it will be enough to get statistically robust conclusions;
- Refine the methodologies used to avoid pain in the animals
Participants were also able to try on the suits that researchers use to go into the animal facilities, and to see the cages and other material used there.
On November 2022, the workshop “Media training: communicating your animal research“, was corganised with the collaboration of EARA (European Animal Research Association). More than 50 researchers at the PRBB centres participated to get better at explaining their research, with an emphasis of why they use animals for it.
Finally, in April 2023, a class of secondary school students came to the PRBB to learn about animal models such as zebrafish, or mice, and participate in a role playing game about animal experimentation.
“The PRBB animal facility has expert veterinary staff who ensure optimal animal health and welfare conditions. At the same time, we are working with the scientists on new approaches that replace, reduce, and refine animal experiments”
Joseane Willamil, PRBB Animal Facility Deputy Director
Giving visibility to the research done with model organisms and explaining why this research is needed, is essential in times where many are trying to ban it – despite how vital it has been for the rapid development of vaccines during the pandemic.
And, of course, it needs to go hand in hand with the efforts to find non-animal alternatives (computational models, organoids, etc.) that can help us continue advancing in our knowledge of human biology and our fight against diseases, while respecting animal life.
“We are very aware of how animal welfare impacts scientific outcomes, and our animal facility has expert veterinary staff who ensure optimal animal health and welfare conditions”, says Joseane Willamil, PRBB Animal Facility Deputy Director. “At the same time, we are working together with the Park’s researchers on new approaches that replace, reduce, and refine animal experiments”, she adds.
