Abstracts of Scientific Papers 12Th FELASA SECAL Congress Animal Research: Better Science from Fewer Animals Barcelona, Spain 10–13 June 2013
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Journal of the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science Vol 52, No 3 Copyright 2013 May 2013 by the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science Pages 308–413 Abstracts of Scientific Papers 12th FELASA SECAL Congress Animal Research: Better Science from Fewer Animals Barcelona, Spain 10–13 June 2013 Lectures and Oral Communications its accreditation program. Believe it or not, but FELASA does all this through the dedication of a core of volunteers. As this core is never large PL-2 High Throughput and Traditional Phenotyping: How Interna- enough, additional expertise, views, input and support are more than tional Efforts Can Help Our Research welcome. Therefore, don't hesitate to contact us and offer your active participation: www.felasa.eu; email: [email protected]. C Brayton*1 S01-2 FELASA Working Groups: Aims and Overview 1Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, USA 1 *Corresponding author. Email: [email protected] AC Eklöf* 1 We all do phenotyping, in our work, and in the rest of our lives. As Dept of Comparative Medicine, Karolinska University Hospital, technicians, veterinarians and scientists, we assess health and wellbe- Sweden * ing of our animal patients and research subjects. We treat their disease Corresponding author. Email: [email protected] conditions, based on observed or measured phenotypes from direct examination and tests. We analyze and report dysmorphologies or test One important issue for FELASA is to establish and maintain results that deviate from the findings (phenotypes) in 'normal' or control working groups. These working groups should aim for guidelines, animals. In academic research settings, most of our animal phenotyping recommendations and reports. FELASA working groups are composed for research may be considered to be Hypothesis Driven. In this context of international experts in the field of LAS and other areas of science phenotyping (testing) aims to test specific hypotheses about specific relevant to the topic of the working group. The outcome of the working disease conditions or biologic mechanisms. In industry or pharmacology groups are available as full papers from FELASA's website and linked settings, most of our animal phenotyping (testing) may be considered to peer reviewed articles. FELASA has now 7 active working groups. to be Purpose Driven, generating comprehensive datasets to determine Two years ago a liaison between FELASA and AALAS was established. if a specific compound is safe, effective, toxic, or carcinogenic. In high Two joint wg were identified, one on harm-benefit analysis of animal throughput phenotyping, as in the international mouse phenotyping studies and one on health monitoring of rodents. The harm - benefit consortium (IMPC), phenotyping (testing) may be considered to be WG group addresses overarching ethical principles that need to be Hypothesis Generating, also generating comprehensive datasets, but considered when engaging in animal research are driven by the same aiming for the data to be broadly relevant to multiple research areas, to doctrines of replacement, reduction, and refinement in both United improve the utility of mutant mouse tools for diverse hypothesis driven States and Europe. A jointly produced document would therefore research. If your research involves a gene or molecular pathway, look be applicable in both geographical areas, and serve as an important it up. Relevant mutant mice, data, and protocols may offer new infor- guideline, that members of the scientific community could access when mation and tools for testing new hypotheses. Phenotyping pipelines, working towards harmonization of ethical reviews. The aim of the health protocols, data will be discussed, emphasizing their availability and monitoring WG is to find a way to harmonize between USA and Europe. utility to diverse research areas. This is important as collaboration between our continents is increasing. Transfer of rodents between institutions occurs continuously. The logis- S01-1 FELASA Is Not Just a Congress Organizer! tics involved in these transfers are becoming more and more complex due to the scientific value of the animals, the legal hurdles that need to JB Prins* be addressed for inter-nation/country shipments, and the possibility of transmitting unwanted microbiological agents between institutions. 1Leiden University Medical Centre, The Netherlands *Corresponding author. Email: [email protected] S01-3 FELASA Accreditation of Health Monitoring Programs and Testing Laboratories Involved in Health Monitoring The Federation of European Laboratory Animal Science Associations, 1,2 FELASA, is a truly pan-European scientific organization with 19 Labo- W Nicklas* ratory Animal Science (LAS) Associations as members representing 26 1 2 countries and two LAS organizations with observer status. FELASA is German Cancer Research Centre; Microbiological Diagnostics, Ger- most visible through the publication of guidelines and recommenda- many * tions and through its triennial congresses. However, FELASA is most Corresponding author. Email: [email protected] active as a stakeholder with the European Commission and the Council of Europe in Brussels representing the views and opinions of the Eu- FELASA issued guidelines in 2010, which define the operation of a ropean LAS community. Its mission is to advance and co-ordinate the FELASA board responsible for the accreditation of health monitoring development of all aspects of LAS and practice in Europe; to act as a programs and for testing laboratories. This board evaluates laboratories focus for the exchange of information about LAS and to establish and and programs after voluntary application for accreditation. Official maintain appropriates links with (inter)national and governmental FELASA accreditation can be given to health monitoring schemes and/ bodies as well as other international organizations concerning topics on or to laboratories if they conform to the quality standards described or related with LAS. FELASA is actively involved in the transposition in the FELASA recommendations. FELASA hopes that this accredita- of EU Directive 2010/63/EU into primary legislation and the drafting tion program will increase the significance and reliability of health of guidance for secondary legislation. FELASA aims to improve and monitoring reports and promote further standardisation of laboratory promote education and training in LAS and does so amongst others by animals. Applicants should contact the secretariat through the FELASA 308 Abstracts of scientific papers 12th FELASA SECAL Congress Internet sites and will receive the application package and additional stages of the work. The work will be completed in July 2013. information. Applications should be submitted electronically. Each ap- plication is thoroughly examined and discussed within the accreditation S02-3 Accreditation and Mutual Acceptance of Laboratory Animal board, which will usually decide upon the application, perhaps after Science Courses within Europe additional information has been obtained from the applicant. Site visits may exceptionally be conducted. Until now several commercial health P Vergara*1,2, D Smith3 monitoring laboratories from different European countries, but also from the USA and Australia, expressed their interest in FELASA accreditation; 1FELASA Accreditation Board for Education and Training; 2Universitat fewer European institutions including a commercial breeder asked for Autonoma de Barcelona, Spain; 3FELASA accreditation of their health monitoring programs. *Corresponding author. Email: [email protected] S01-4 FELASA Education and Training Accreditation System Directive 2010/63EU provides an excellent opportunity to harmonize education and training in LAS in Europe. The European Commission P Vergara*1,2 (EC), by means of expert working groups, is setting up the basis for a common E&T framework that will ensure competence of personnel and 1FELASA Accreditation Board for Education and Training; 2Universitat facilitate the mutual acceptance across Europe. However, it is neces- Autonoma de Barcelona, Spain sary now to develop a system for approval/accreditation for training *Corresponding author. Email: [email protected] modules/courses to assure confidence in the quality of the training and their assessment. FELASA has been playing a very important role For several years FELASA has been developing guidelines for the accrediting courses across Europe and it is willing to play a leading education and training of all categories of personnel working with role in the development of the process that the EC proposes. The prin- experimental animals. More recently, in 2003, FELASA established an ciples for the approval/accreditation process must be: independence, accreditation system for teaching programs. This quality assurance consistent standards, built of confidence and trust and proportionate system is intended to assist in the development of high quality edu- and affordable. During the next months it will be necessary to develop cational programs for all laboratory animal categories of personnel. the process in an effort where all partners need to work together and Currently more than 40 courses run in most EU countries have been where training providers and those with experience in evaluating train- accredited, or are in the process of being accredited, by FELASA. There ing programs need to be involved. The EC is proposing an EU Platform is also increasing interest from outside Europe to adopt both FELASA and