ReThink3R project was awarded
With their project tReEFINE, which aims to systematically improve experimental conditions for laboratory animals, researchers Angelique Wolter and Luca Bramé won the second place in the "Research to Market Challenge". A total of ten excellent research-based business ideas were honoured at the official closing event on Tuesday. The award-winning scientists emerged with their idea sketches as the best from a total of 44 submitted projects.
The goal of the tReEFINE project, which was developed in the context of a ReThink3R workshop, is to advance the implementation of refinement measures in everyday work. The background to this is that although a lot of research is being done on the topic of refinement, the newly gained knowledge is too rarely integrated into everyday work. This insufficient transfer of theoretical knowledge to practical implementation hinders progress in animal welfare and scientific research. Within the tReEFINE project, a platform is therefore to be developed that virtually tracks the integration of refinement measures.
On this platform, each animal experimentation project is first registered. The researchers then select the appropriate refinement measures for their respective project in a predefined mask. Corresponding protocols, video tutorials and relevant publications are also stored. For each implementation of a proposed refinement measure, the project receives one point.
Award winner Angelique Wolter, a scientist at the Department of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology of the Charité, explains: "The more measures are implemented, the more points the project receives. The number of points is then visualised via the growth of a tree and the more refinement measures are implemented, the larger and more branched this tree becomes." The implementation progress can thus be easily tracked over different time periods and can also be compared between projects, working groups, departments and institutions. In this way, users can compare their tree with other projects and check whether their use of Refinement is sufficient. The improved overview can also be used to provide targeted assistance by animal welfare officers or other scientists in places where Refinement is not yet being given sufficient attention.
tReEFINE should thus contribute to the systematic improvement of experimental conditions for laboratory animals and thus advance animal welfare and science in equal measure.
Links
Webseite Research to Market Challenge
Contact
Angelique Wolter
Medizinische Klinik m.S. Rheumatologie und Klinische Immunologie
Charitéplatz 1
10117 Berlin
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