To build confidence in the use of non-protected  multicellular organisms such as zebrafish embryos and Caenorhabditis elegans as replacements by fostering collaborations with mammalian model users.

Dr Alessio Vagnoni (King's College London) A novel Drosophila platform to replace the use of mice and zebrafish for the study of ER-mitochondria interactions 

Professor Richard Titball (University of Exeter) Galleria mellonella as an infection model for viral pathogens

Systematic reviews for 3Rs purposes 

Professor Jonathan Hardman (University of Nottingham) Replacement of animal models of cardiac arrest and resuscitation strategies using a computer simulation

Further information on why and how to perform a systematic review can be found on the CAMARADES/ NC3Rs Systematic Review Facility (SyRF).

To encourage the development of new and innovative models and approaches for ageing research, which reduce the current reliance on mammalian models, as well as address the gaps in terms of scientific utility and relevance to human ageing.

Increasing the use of human tissue

To better understand human health and disease, and to reduce the reliance on animal models in basic and biomedical research, a highlight notice for applications involving the use of human tissue was run across all schemes.

Dr Scott Davies (University of Birmingham) Multiphoton imaging in human liver tissues: validation of a new tool for drug discovery

Dr Meritxell Huch (University of Cambridge) Replacing liver cancer models by modeling human liver cancer in vitro

Dr Mariya Moosajee (University College London) Generating in vitro human optic vesicles to dissect the genetic modifiers affecting ocular maldevelopment

Further information on accessing human tissue is available on our ‘Increasing the use of human tissue’ web resource

Measures and assessment of animal welfare

In collaboration with BBSRC, we sought to encourage research in the field of measures and assessment of animal welfare, as applied to laboratory animals, livestock species and companion animals.

Professor Melissa Bateson (Newcastle University) Assessing cumulative severity in macaques used in neuroscience research

Professor Hannah Buchanan-Smith (University of Stirling) Validating reward-related behaviour for welfare assessment, and improving welfare through increased predictability of events

​Dr Charlotte Hosie (University of Chester) Establishment of consensual husbandry protocols for laboratory Xenopus laevis using novel physiological and behavioural techniques

Dr Ioanna Katsiadaki (CEFAS) Assessing welfare in fish: the answer is in the water!

Ms Gidona Goodman (University of Edinburgh) Investigation of behavioural and physiological responses to fin-clipping in zebrafish

Dr Lynne Sneddon (University of Liverpool) The detection, assessment and alleviation of pain in laboratory zebrafish

Professor Michael Mendl (University of Bristol) Development and validation of an automated test of animal affect and welfare for laboratory rodents

Dr Sarah-Jane Vick (University of Stirling) Quantifying the behavioural and facial correlates of pain in laboratory macaques

Replacing animals protected under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 with invertebrate models 

Alongside BBSRC, we sought to stimulate research into the use of invertebrate models to replace the use of animals which are protected under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986. 

Dr Susan Jobling (Brunel University) The snail assay as an alternative to the rodent Hershberger assay for detecting androgens and anti-androgens

Dr Kevin Moffat (University of Warwick) Drosophila as a model for Alzheimer's disease

Refinement in rodent husbandry, care and procedures

To develop refinements in rodent husbandry, care and procedures. Applicants were requested to particularly focus on:

• Refining procedures used in the production and maintenance of rodents or;
• A specific procedure, particularly those involving the use of large numbers of animals.

Dr Paul Simons (Univeristy College London) Inducible SAA transgenic mice: a refined model of human amyloidosis

Professor Shiranee Sriskandan (Imperial College London) Reduction and refinement of murine models of bacterial infection

Replacement, Refinement and Reduction in fish

At the time that this highlight notice was run, fish were the most commonly used laboratory animal species, after mice and rats, and the use of fish as experimental animals was increasing worldwide.* 
As such, we sought to promote research to further develop the 3Rs to the use of fish.

Professor Andrew Cossins (Univeristy of Liverpool) Development of a mechanistically informative genome-wide, replacement chemicals screening technology

Dr Ioanna Katsiadaki (CEFAS) Validating a sexual development test using the 3-spined stickleback for addressing the 3Rs in fish toxicity testing

Dr Jun Zou (University of Aberdeen) Development of leucocyte cell lines for immunological research in teleost fish

Tissue engineering solutions for replacing animal experiments

In collaboration with BBSRC, we sought to strengthen basic and translational research into tissue engineering solutions for the replacement of animal experiments, whilst also supporting interdiscplinary and integrative research.

Professor Donna Davies (University of Southampton) Modelling the human asthmatic airway by tissue engineering

Professor Jamie Davies (Univeristy of Edinburgh) A tissue engineering approach to reduce animal use in renal development and renal organ replacement technology

Professor William Hope (University of Manchester) An in vitro model of the human alveolus to predict the efficacy of systemic antifungal therapy

Professor Peter Jones (King's College London) Pseudoislets as a model system to study beta cell dysfunction in diabetes

Refinement of procedures of substantial severity 

To promote research into refining procedures classified by the Home Office as substantial severity (i.e. those that may result in a major departure from the animals usual state of health or well-being)

Dr Andrew Grierson (University of Sheffield) Refinement of therapeutic intervention in a mouse model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

Dr Alan MacNicoll (DEFRA) Humane endpoints for rodenticide testing

Dr Gavin Woodhall (Aston University) Development of a reduced severity rat epilepsy model