Center for Alternatives to Animal Testing (CAAT)

A new report, co-produced by the journal Frontiers in Science and the World Economic Forum, examines new and rapidly-evolving technologies, including AI, altering the scientific and economic ecosystem in 2024. CAAT’s director Thomas Hartung supported the creation of this new report, serving Chief Editor for some of Frontiers’ journals. You can read the report in full by visiting: https://lnkd.in/e9qfH9Mz #WorldEconomicForum #Frontiers #CAAT #AI #STEM

Intelligent systems—from brain organoids to electronic language models—are developing at a rapid clip. Evolving fields require an evolving vocabulary. In order to collaborate on the creation of a language framework for intelligent systems, CAAT’s Thomas Hartung and Lena Smirnova, among other co-authors, have published a new article in the journal Cell Press, inviting researchers and academics engaging with intelligent systems to reach a consensus on language use. The open-access article is available here: https://lnkd.in/gPyUiuVA #CAAT #IntelligentSystems #AI #Organoids #Nomenclature #Language #STEM

🔔 Don't forget! 🔔 2025 - 2026 Alan and Helene Goldberg In-Vitro Toxicology Grant Pre-proposal Submissions are OPEN! The objective of proposals should be to significantly reduce or replace laboratory animals. Examples of acceptable projects could include: providing mechanistic understanding of in vitro responses to toxicants in human cells, development of AOPs, or conducting systematic reviews. Consideration should be given to the translation of this new method to evaluate/predict health outcomes. We have a stringent, peer-reviewed process for selecting the recipients of these grants. This process consists of sending each application to at least two to three experts in the field from academic, industrial, and government institutions. These reviewers evaluate the applications with regard to scientific merit, budget appropriateness, suitability to CAAT’s mission, and expertise of the investigators. They also assign a priority score based on the scoring system used by the NIH. Pre-proposal submissions close July 30th, 2024, 11:59 PM EST. For more information and to make a submission, please use the linked webpage. Applicants with pre-proposals that have been selected for the full proposal round will receive an email with instructions. 🙌

Our next 3Rs Training Webinar will take place on Tuesday, August 6, at 1 pm EST/ 7 pm CEST. Dr. Nils Haep from Charité Universitätsklinikum Berlin will present his work which focuses on understanding genetic influences in non-alcoholic steatohepatitis and developing innovative disease models. Being aware of the limitations of animal models, Dr. Haep is an advocate for humanized models to better mimic human disease states. His work underscores the importance of humanized disease models in translational research. Free registration: https://lnkd.in/dR3T3aEh #training #webinar #3Rs #replacement #NAMs #innovation #humanrelevant #diseasemodel #humanizedmodel Center for Alternatives to Animal Testing (CAAT)

Advancements in cell culture technology allow researchers to study accurate models of human physiology, facilitating the use of alternative methods by laboratories all over the world. In a new publication in the journal Stem Cell Reports, researchers from CAAT-Europe propose new guidelines that will ensure these innovative technologies remain reliable, consistent, and reproducible. Read the full open-access article at https://lnkd.in/gj7xA7RH Image credit: Pamies et al., DOI:https://lnkd.in/e42rrqYW  #CAAT #MPS #Organoids #HumaneScience #3Rs #STEM

In a hard-won victory for humane science, the European Pharmacopeia has elected to end the requirement for Rabbit Pyrogen Testing (RPT). RPT involves injecting rabbits with a test substance to determine if the substance is pyrogenic—meaning, it induces fever in the animals. CAAT’s director Thomas Hartung was one of those involved in the campaign to remove RPT requirements and replace the testing with alternative methods, such as the monocyte activation test (MAT). To learn more, you can read Hartung’s research at https://lnkd.in/gWn9f2NQ and https://lnkd.in/gMMsSE2b #3Rs #CAAT #RPT #HumaneScience #STEM

Coming soon! The 11th Annual 3Rs Symposium starts September 4th at 10:00am Eastern! The virtual event will convene September 4th, 5th, 11th, and 12th, and will feature experts from CAAT, Johns Hopkins University, the NIH, the Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare, and the USDA’s Animal Welfare Information Center (AWIC) at the National Agricultural Library. Join us for a dynamic discussion on practical techniques to reduce, refine, and replace techniques animal testing in research, making it more humane and human relevant. To register, and for dates and times, please visit CAAT’s Eventbrite site at: https://lnkd.in/g_GqfqU7. #CAAT #3Rs #NIH #JHU #USDA #HumaneScience #STEM

Please join us in congratulating CAAT Program Director Lena Smirnova, PhD, who recently received a Johns Hopkins University’s Discovery Award! Smirnova and her team are conducting research on Extracellular Vesicle (EV) RNA as Functional Biomarkers of Clinical ASD Heterogeneity. Discovery Awards provide grant funding to projects that span multiple schools or affiliates across Johns Hopkins University, facilitating research between team members from different divisions. 🤝 👏 To learn more about the Johns Hopkins Discovery Award and awardees, please visit the program webpage linked below! #CAAT #JHU #JohnsHopkinsUniversity #JHUDiscoveryAward #Research #3Rs #HumaneScience #Biology #Science #STEM #WomenInSTEM

The session proposal for WC13 is OPEN! The deadline is September 30, 2024! Guidelines here: https://lnkd.in/epTBfVdp