3R principles (replace, reduce, refine)

Research teams at the Max Delbrück Center and its partner institutions used almost 17,000 fewer research animals in 2023 than in the previous year. The Center has now submitted these figures to the Berlin State Office for Health and Social Affairs (LaGeSo).

At a workshop organized by EARA, researchers, animal welfare officers, and communicators gained insights into how they can communicate more openly and proactively about animal research. The event, with over 80 participants, was held in collaboration with the Max Delbrück Center.

On January 29th, the European Animal Research Association (EARA) and Charité –Universitätsmedizin Berlin, in collaboration with the Max Delbrück Center and Freie Universität Berlin, invite those working in the life science sector to discuss the need for greater transparency in animal research.

The Einstein Center 3R will continue for a second funding period. Following a successful interim evaluation, the board of the Einstein Foundation Berlin has approved funding for a further two and a half years for research into alternatives to animal testing. Partners include the Max Delbrück Center.

No science-remote phase-out plan for animal research in Europe – the EU-LIFE research alliance, which includes the Max Delbrück Center, welcomes the EU Commission's response to the European citizens' initiative "Save Cruelty Free Cosmetics".

Sarah Hedtrich heads a guest group at the Max Delbrück Center. The Johanna Quandt Professor at the Berlin Institute of Health at Charité (BIH) is working on organ-on-a-chip models to develop new treatment options for rare hereditary and inflammatory skin and lung diseases.

Ahead of the European Parliament’s hearing on the European Citizens’ Initiative “Save cruelty-free cosmetics – Commit to a Europe without animal testing” on May 25th, 2023, EU-LIFE and LERU express their concern about the call to phase out all animal testing in Europe.

Studies conducted by research teams at the Max Delbrück Center and its partner institutions used a total of 54,402 animals in 2022. The Center has now submitted these figures to the Berlin State Office for Health and Social Affairs (LaGeSo).

Organoids have to be fed and cared for continuously so that they can mature. So far, it is mostly a manual process – not suitable for industrial drug screening. Now, the European Research Council (ERC) has awarded Mina Gouti a Proof of Concept Grant to tackle scalability and reproducibility.

An expert panel met at the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities to discuss circumstances in which animal research is ethically justified. The Einstein Center 3R hosted the event.