Zebrafish in a laboratory tank

Animal Facilities

Basic research provides insights, enabling new technologies, materials, treatments and medicines. In the field of medicine, in particular, these insights can often only be gained by working with laboratory animals. This represents a major ethical responsibility that research organisations and individual scientists take very seriously. Animal tests are carried out in conjunction with other animal-free testing methods, such as cell culture tests, computer models and tests on human volunteers. The most suitable method for finding an answer to the scientific question under investigation is always selected. Animal tests are only carried out when there is no alternative.

Why are animal tests indispensable to basic research today, and likely to remain unavoidable in the future? Which animals are used in such tests? How do researchers fulfil their responsibilities in this regard? Answers to these and other questions can be found here.

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