Pint of Science: Pioneering better science – Alternatives to animals

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At the UK’s National Centre for the 3Rs, we work with the scientific community to drive forward the 3Rs of animal research. We help scientists replace their use of animals and, where this is not currently possible, reduce the number of animals used and refine the care of the animals to keep pain and suffering to a minimum. Using new and advanced technologies, scientists today have more ways to study human biology, health and disease without animals than ever before. Join us as we showcase the latest innovations and explore the future of alternatives to animal research.

Can you 3D print human tissues?
Professor Kenny Dalgarno (Professor of Manufacturing Engineering)
Imagine a 3D printer that combines living cells with biomaterials. Scientists use ‘bioprinters’ to create 3D cell-based models of how human tissues are built and behave. Learn about a state-of-the-art system with the potential to replace up to 1,000 mice a year to predict drug responses in medicines development at Newcastle University. Kenny Dalgarno is sharing the technology with scientists across the country to replace animals in other areas of research – from leukaemia and liver cancer to blood and bone biology.

Heart disease: From donors to discoveries
Rebecca Conway (PhD student)
Donated human organs and tissues are a valuable resource for scientists. Rebecca Conway uses human heart tissue to better understand how heart disease develops and is working towards the ability to test new treatments without animals. Learn more about how Rebecca keeps heart tissue alive in the lab and studies cardiac disease in a dish. Her approach could replace up to 2,500 mice a year at Newcastle University – with tens of thousands of animals used in similar research across the UK the replacement potential of this technology is huge!