ALTWEB Newsletter
Summer 2006

Register now for CAAT's 25th Anniversary Symposium and Gala Dinner

CAAT 25th

Mark your calendars: the CAAT 25th Anniversary Symposium is coming up on November 2, 2006 in Baltimore, Maryland. You can view the program here and register online here. The cost is $200 per person with one additional dinner guest for $75.

What's New at ILAR June 2006 Now Available

Click here for the newest issue of What's New at ILAR in PDF format.

"Guidelines for the Humane Transportation of Research Animals" Available Online

National Academies

Arranging the transportation of animals at research facilities is often an ordeal. There is a confusing patchwork of local, national, and international regulations; a perceived lack of high-quality shipping services; a dearth of science-based good practices; and a lack of biosafety standards. It s a challenge and an impediment to biomedical research. Guidelines for the Humane Transportation of Research Animals identifies the current problems encountered in the transportation of research animals and offers recommendations aimed at local and federal officials to rectify these problems. This book also includes a set of good practices based on the extensive body of literature on transportation of agricultural animals, universal concepts of physiology, and a scientific understanding of species-specific needs and differences. Good practices were developed by the committee to address thermal environment, space requirements, food and water requirements, social interaction, monitoring of transportation, emergency procedures, personnel training, and biosecurity. Guidelines for the Humane Transportation of Research Animals is an essential guide for all researchers, animal care technicians, facilities managers, administrators, and animal care and use committees at research institutions.

Read more here.

ATLA 34.3 (June 2006) Now Available

FRAME

Volume 34, Number 3 of ATLA (Alternatives to Laboratory Animals) is available on Altweb here.

NICEATM "Peer Review Panel Evaluation of the Use of In Vitro Basal Cytotoxicity Test Methods for Estimating Starting Doses for Acute Oral Systemic Toxicity Testing" Available Online

The NTP Interagency Center for the Evaluation of Alternative Toxicological Methods (NICEATM) announces the availability of the report "Peer Review Panel Evaluation of the Use of In Vitro Basal Cytotoxicity Test Methods for Estimating Starting Doses for Acute Oral Systemic Toxicity Testing" and requests comments. The Federal Register notice is available on the NTP website or go directly to the notice.

OLAW Offers New Brochure on "What Investigators Need to Know About the Use of Animals"

OLAW

OLAW has created a brochure intended to communicate to investigators their responsibilities under PHS Grants Policy and PHS Policy on Humane Care and Use of Laboratory Animals. What Investigators Need to Know About the Use of Animals provides a succinct resource for investigators to quickly grasp the main expectations and requirements when using animals in research supported by the PHS. The brochure may be accessed as a PDF here or in Word format here. OLAW will provide institutions with enough copies to disseminate to all of their investigators that work with animals. Send requests, along with the number of copies needed, to olaw@od.nih.gov, and please be sure to provide your complete mailing address.

InterNICHE Announces Winners of Humane Education Award

InterNICHE

Eight exciting projects submitted to the InterNICHE Humane Education Award have now been chosen for their positive pedagogical and ethical impact on life science education.

The Award is an international grant program to support initiatives that can enhance veterinary, medical and biological science education by replacing harmful animal use with progressive alternative methods.

Read more here

Continued rise for animal tests (BBC News)

BBC

The number of experiments carried out on animals in UK laboratories has continued to rise, statistics show.

The number of procedures undertaken in 2005 was just under 2.9 million, a rise of about 1.4% on the previous year, according to the Home Office figures.

The majority involved mice, rats and other rodents; most of the remainder were carried out on fish and birds.

Source: BBC News

Contact Dermatitis: Blending Science with Best Practice Meeting, September 2006 - Call for Participation Extended to September 1st. Details.

Contact Dermatitis 2006

Read more here.

"Rodent Respect" site honors laboratory rats and mice

Read more here.

Upcoming Meetings

Zebrafish Workshop (Charles River Laboratories)
PDF for more information
August 22-23, 2006
Germantown, MD

For a complete calendar of upcoming meetings, visit the Altweb Calendar here.