The 3 R’s of Humane Animal Experimentation– Reduction, Refinement, and Replacement, serve to guide in vivo researchers to achieve the highest degree of animal welfare during the experimental process. With modern technology, we can attain the highest level of animal care without disrupting research projects.
In vivo research management software, like Climb, can help improve animal and staff welfare by tracking, recording, and compiling the necessary information easily in one spot.
Climb can help your organization follow the 3 R’s by:
- Providing harmonized, aggregated, searchable data- giving scientists easy access to an archive of original and accurate historical data can prevent unnecessary experimental replication.
- Improving experimental reproducibility by providing detailed experimental protocols, study information, and data collection processes that can be easily accessed by collaborators or shared externally.
- Comprehensive mating and births management capabilities prevents over-breeding of strains.
- Complete colony management and census provides full situational awareness, ensuring animals are allocated to a research protocol as soon as possible instead of maturing out of acceptance criteria and being euthanized.
- Up-to-date animal monitoring across several communication platforms (including internal messaging, email, and SMS) allows for immediate response to animal welfare concerns and reduces unnecessary suffering.
- Auditing and electronic signatures help identify staff and processes that require additional training and method modification, respectively.
Additionally, Climb can help implement The United States Department of Agriculture- Animal and Plant Health Inspection Services (USDA-APHIS) contingency plans for research facilities, including:
- Identifing emergency situations that arise as a result of geographic location
- Identifing facility risks
- Outlining tasks specific to the emergency situation that ensure animal welfare and establish a chain of custody for who will be responsible for these tasks
- Developing a plan for the response and recovery of materials, as well as the resources and training required
Learn how Climb can both improve animal welfare in your facility and help your team get more research done by requesting a demo!