Laboratory animal science

Course unit

title

Scientific direction

Scientific code

Faculty

Department (s)

Laboratory animal science

Biochemistry N 004

Biology N 010

Chemical Engineering T 005

Life Sciences Center

Institute of Biochemistry

Mode of studies

Number of credits

Mode of studies

Number of credits

Lectures

0

Consultations

0

Self-studies

8

Seminars

0

Aims of course

Gain or improve knowledge of the most important principles of experimental work with animals: ensuring animal welfare, legally and methodologically sound selection of animals and procedures, and the search for alternative methods.

Main topics

 Improving the conditions for replacement, reduction and refinement of animal use.

Ethical principles related to human-animal relations. Animal welfare. Cost-benefit analysis. V.M.S Russell and R.L. Berch Regulation - 3R (Special requirement). Relevant EU and National legislation governing animal experimentation. Authorization of procedures.

Provisions on the use of certain animals in procedures.

Purposes of procedures. Anatomical and physiological features of commonly used animals in research. Genetics of experimental animals (mice). Conditions for housing and experimentation of animals. Choice of animals and formation of experimental and control groups. Choice of methods. Criteria for assessing animal suffering. Classification of severity of procedures. Anesthesia. Analgesia. End of procedure.

Alternative methods.

Classification and registration of alternative methods. Areas of research where alternative methods are used. The most popular alternative methods and their methodology.

Main literature

1. 2010 m. rugsėjo 22 d. Europos Parlamento ir Tarybos direktyva 2010/63/ES dėl mokslo tikslais naudojamų gyvūnų apsaugos. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/LT/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32010L0063&from=LT
2. Valstybinės maisto ir veterinarijos tarnybos direktoriaus Įsakymas dėl mokslo ir mokymo tikslais naudojamų gyvūnų laikymo, priežiūros ir naudojimo reikalavimų patvirtinimo. 2012-10-31 Nr. B1-866. https://e-seimas.lrs.lt/portal/legalAct/lt/TAD/TAIS.437081/asr
3. Akhtar. A, The flaws and human harms of animal experimentation. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4594046/
4. The COST Manual of laboratory animal care and use. Refinement, reduction and Research. Ed. B. Howard, T. Nevalainen, G. Perretta. CRC Press. 2001.
5. The laboratory mouse. http://www.informatics.jax.org/greenbook/frames/frame1.shtml
6. Mouse genome informatics. http://www.informatics.jax.org/
7. Laboratory rats. http://www.ccac.ca/Documents/Standards/Guidelines/Vol2/rats.pdf

Assessment strategy

Assessment criteria

Seminar

One question is selected for the presentation. It should be related to the use of experimental animals in the PhD student's research. The student presents the relevant recent literature, discusses his/her planned or ongoing research connected with the experimental animals. The report should reflect the basic knowledge presented in the previous section "Main Topics".

The duration of the presentation is 45-60 minutes, the number of discussed scientific articles is not limited.

Assessment criteria are related to the disclosure of a scientific problem based on a basic knowledge, a review of the recent literature, and the validity of the interpretation of available or planned results.

Approved by the Council of Doctoral School of Life Sciences Center No (4.10)600000-KT-… on the 14th of October 2021

Chairman dr. Daiva Baltriukienė