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Implementing 3Rs in Switzerland: an interdisciplinary in-depth exploration of barriers and facilitators [Implement-3R]

Research Project
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01.12.2022
 - 30.11.2026

The 3R principles and regulation of animal research The use of animals in biomedical and other research presents an ethical dilemma: we do not want to lose scientific benefits, nor do we want to cause laboratory animals to suffer". In Switzerland, the majority of animals (64%) is used in fundamental research and a minority (ca. 20%) are used for developing and testing pharmaceutical and chemical products. The 3R-strategies ("replace, reduce, refine") are "today widely accepted by scientists as a moral obligation to treat animals humanely and if possible to use alternative methods in experiments". The national and international regulatory framework concerning the use of animals for research stipulates adherence to the 3R principles[3-5]. In addition, Swiss law requires researchers to demonstrate a favourable harm-benefit ratio to justify animal experiments[6, 7]. There is an ongoing discussion in the fields of ethics, law and science concerning the interpretation of the 3Rs and harm-benefit analysis. Eminent ethicists have recently proposed a more elaborated, argued way how to balance social benefit and animal welfare in this context.

Funding

Implementing 3Rs in Switzerland

SNF Projekt (GrantsTool), 10.2022-09.2026 (48)
PI : Elger, Bernice Simone.

Publications

Louis-Maerten, Edwin (2023) ‘Exploring animal breeding through the lenses of authoritarian and liberal eugenics: why some breeding practices are wrong and what could be new ethical standards?’, Frontiers in Animal Science, 4. Available at: https://doi.org/10.3389/fanim.2023.1195710.

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Members (10)

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Bernice Simone Elger

Principal Investigator
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Markus Affolter

Co-Investigator
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Brenda Renata Kwak

Co-Investigator
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Charlotte Blattner

Co-Investigator
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Hanno Würbel

Co-Investigator
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Aoife Milford

Project Member
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