Alternative animal testing
Government plans are in progress to create a new research centre with the aim of developing alternatives to animal testing.
These come shortly after plans for a new animal research laboratory at Oxford have been revealed, which animal right activists have promised to vehemently oppose.
The methods being developed are unlikely to replace animal testing entirely but are aimed at improving their welfare and reducing the numbers needed in research.
They will support work such as that of Peter Kohl, a physiologist at Oxford University, who is developing a statistical package which aims to halve the number of tests needed to provide adequate amounts of physiological information for research.
One of the aims for the centre is stated to be the reduction of violence by animal rights campaigners against scientists and medical research companies.
This latest development is of particular relevance to Oxford University, as its staff and those associated with it have come under repeated threat from animal rights over their plans for a new animal housing unit.
With animal rights activists vowing not to let Oxford construct any building used to test on animals, the University is bound to be keeping a close eye on alternative research methods.
29th Apr 2004