FRAME Fund for the Replacement of Animals in Medical Experiments

Up to 86% of surveyed lab animal workers reported having experienced compassion fatigue during their career which can lead to burnout and depression, among many other difficulties. Two of the key cited reasons were: - The emotional toll of euthanising animals. - A lack of social support. “We don’t get compassion fatigue because we’re weak. We get it because we care deeply.” At FRAME, we want to create a better future for all animals and humans. That includes ensuring lab technicians have a high culture of care, access to the right support, and, vitally, have systems in place to report issues and concerns. Non-animal research removes many of these concerns and triggers that lead to compassion fatigue. We believe a world where no animal suffers for science is a better world for everyone. Read more: https://lnkd.in/dWEZ6Rnm #SelfCareDay #CompassionFatigue

While non-animal research methods are crucial, the right policy and legislation is also needed. Want an example? The Animal Welfare (Sentience) Act 2022. It was hailed as a significant step forward in recognising, in law, the sentience of animals, including invertebrate animals like lobsters, crabs, and octopus, and their capacity to suffer. Despite their sentience being recognised, the Act has no impact on existing legislation, including the use of animals in scientific research. This means that other than cephalopod species, such as octopus, who are already protected by animal research legislation, invertebrates currently have no greater legal protection in any sense. This is why rigorous policy is essential in animal research. Read more about it in our Policy Approach: https://lnkd.in/eXHGharu #ALawDay #AnimalLawDay #AnimalResearch

It's time to celebrate our 2024 Summer Studentship scheme winners🥼 These three brilliant students across the UK are working on incredible projects that could change the way we fight diseases! They're all focused on finding ways to do research without using animals. 🧠 Grace Houston, a Pharmacology student from the University of Strathclyde, will be researching brain tumours and replacements to 'matrigel' a product which relies on mice for its production. 🦴 Meilinda Lesmana, an Immunology student from the University of Glasgow, is developing a bone model to research musculoskeletal disorders, which are one of the leading causes of disability worldwide. 🧠 Sophie Bateman, a Biomedical Sciences student from the University of Huddersfield, will be trying to validate in vitro tumour models to identify better treatments for brain tumours, such as gliomas, which make up 25% of childhood cancer cases in the UK. These research areas still heavily rely on animal 'models'. By funding these projects, we're helping empower the next generation to learn more about, and actively develop, replacements to animal research. Together, we can create a future where no animal suffers for science. https://lnkd.in/efcTkZrc

REMINDER: You only have until midnight to submit your round 1 Innovation Grant scheme applications!

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS! ATLA is accepting submissions for their virtual special collection 'animal-friendly affinity reagents'. This ATLA special collection will be dedicated to showcasing replacements to animal-derived antibody use including lab methods, tools, incentives and resources. https://lnkd.in/ey2U_rM8 #ATLA #ScientificJournal #NAMs #NATs

This weekend is #WorldChimpanzeeDay, a day to celebrate one of our closest living relatives! In the wild, chimpanzees are incredibly social and caring creatures who form lifelong bonds with their families. Sadly, despite their intelligence and social bonds, chimps have been used in research, raising serious ethical concerns. Leading the way, the UK banned the use of great apes in 1998 and the EU passed a ban on experiments on great apes in 2010. However, chimpanzees are still being used in the US. Thankfully, the tide is beginning to change. In 2013, the US National Institutes of Health announced they would stop funding research using chimpanzees and retire them to a federal animal sanctuary. They stated, “research involving chimpanzees has rarely accelerated new discoveries or the advancement of human health for infectious diseases.” But this didn't ban the use of chimpanzees in research conducted by private facilities. Progress can be made when we work together. More is needed to completely end the use of great apes in science and at FRAME, we fight for a future where no animal suffers for science. Sign up to our mailing list to stay up to date with our work and see how you can become part of a better future for animals and humans: https://ow.ly/PskZ50Sy4Jt

Congratulations to Ashwin Shah, who won ATLA's best poster award at the European Society of Toxicology in Vitro ESTIV Congress 2024! Their poster "Validation of a human 3D high-throughput vasculogenesis model for developmental toxicity screening" was authored by Ashwin Shah, Nicholas Dennison, Maximilian Fusenig, Solveig Klier, Tina Marie Hauser, Linda Sturm, Maria Alejandra Ramirez Martinez, Jannik Irmai, Uwe Freudenberg, and Carsten Werner. #ESTIV #NAMs #NATs #BestPosterAward

Consumption of fructose, a common sweetener, has skyrocketed in recent decades, raising concerns about its link to obesity, diabetes, and other health problems. But most research uses rodents fed extremely high fructose levels that don't reflect actual human diets. FRAME Lab graduate Dr Alan Heath's research offers a promising solution. He successfully used human liver cells to investigate the effects of fructose at normal dietary levels. This approach provides a more accurate picture of how humans process fructose and paves the way for a more ethical and relevant understanding of its impact on our health. Here's a breakdown: - Human-relevant results: Unlike animal models, this method provides a more accurate picture of how humans process fructose. - Finding replacements to animal testing: The research successfully used human liver cells to analyse fructose's effects without the use of animals. - Benefits for human health: The project identified potential natural inhibitors of fructose uptake in the gut, opening doors for future research. Read more about Alan's research: https://lnkd.in/gtPzggrP #NAMs #NATs #ObesityResearch #Fructose

REMINDER! There's just ONE week left to apply for FRAME's Innovation Grant scheme! This is a great opportunity for researchers looking at new ways to replace animals in medical research. Round 1 applications require a brief non-technical summary of how your project will support the replacement of animals. Round 2 will take place in August. #ResearchFunding #NAMs #NATs #GrantOpportunity #GrantFunding

Dear UK Government, First of all, congratulations! We know you have some big plans for the UK and there are a few things the team at FRAME would especially love to see.     1) Details of the roadmap to phase out animal testing pledged in your manifesto. We also want this phase-out plan extended to animal research, such as basic and applied research, where most animals are used.     2) Honouring the previous Government’s February 2024 commitments to increase funding into non-animal research, restarting the public attitudes to animal research survey, and publishing a plan to ‘accelerate the development and uptake of methods to reduce reliance on animals used in science’.     3) Create and commit to a cross-departmental science strategy focused on the replacement of animals.     4) Strengthen existing legislation to ensure opportunities to avoid animal use in science are being more thoroughly explored and utilised.     5) Commit to increasing transparency and openness around animal research so that information is available to guide future developments in non-animal research, and make it clearer where current roadblocks are.     And, of course, we’re here to help. We’ve spent over 50 years working towards a future where no animal suffers for science, and we’re not slowing down now.     This is an opportunity for the UK Government to truly commit to a better future for animals and humans. #UKPolitics #NewGovernment #GeneralElection #AnimalWelfare #NAMs #NATs