News

The Oxford Biomedical Facility is finally complete after five bumpy years. Despite violence, arson, threats, intimidation and harassment, Oxford University has pulled through with its new animal research facility. This lab is setting a new "Gold Standard" in animal welfare, one that will meet and exceed the standards set by the Home Office regulations. The past five years have also witnessed increased understanding of the need for well regulated animal research, and we are honoured to have played our part in enabling the students and residents of Oxford to show their support for the new biomedical facility

The life-saving research that can now go ahead in the lab will include work on cancer, stroke, heart disease, diabetes, HIV, muscular dystrophy, motor neurone disease, epilepsy, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s. The lab will be using state of the art equipment to help further the 3Rs - Refinement, Replacement and Reduction.

Here's what Oxford University has to say about the 3Rs:
"In terms of replacement, the facility has been designed so that in the long-term future the space can be used flexibly, including for non-animal research. In terms of reduction and refinement, the facility will bring expertise onto one site, allowing for best advice. Oxford’s Veterinary Services team, which exists to advise on the welfare and health of Oxford’s research animals, has expertise in the 3Rs and will be in the building with training rooms and other facilities that represent a huge improvement from the space they had before."

The lab will contain 98% rodents, mainly transgenic mice, with non-human primates accounting for less than 0.5% of the animals in the lab.

"With the support of the students, the scientists and the public, the completion of the Oxford Biomedical Facility is a victory for both science and reason. It is our family, our friends, and ourselves who stand to gain from the lifesaving medical research that has marked Oxford University as a world leader in biomedicine . This lab represents not just better facilities for scientists, but also better welfare conditions for the animals within, showing Oxford University's commitment to the principles of Refinement, Replacement and Reduction in animal research." - James Burgess, Pro-Test.

Cheers

Tom