Coordination Funds

• Applicant: Professor Dr. André Bleich
• Subject Area: Sensory and Behavioural Biology
• Term: since 2024
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 321137804

The DFG Research Unit, established in 2017, is an interdisciplinary consortium dedicated to developing comprehensive and validated methods for assessing the severity of procedures performed on laboratory animals in biomedical research. While severity assessment is required by EU legislation (EU-Directive 2010/63), there is no clear guidance on how it should be carried out. There is also a lack of evidence on the methods to be used and the classification into severity categories. By identifying objective parameters, including clinical, behavioral, physiological, biochemical, and imaging parameters, as well as routines to apply these parameters, the consortium aims at enabling evidence-based severity assessment that will foster evidence-based refinement and further development of the 3Rs. A key aspect of the consortium's research is the integration of data science approaches, such as artificial intelligence and complex algorithms. Contactless monitoring and automation methods, especially fostered by various video-based techniques, enable continuous and non-invasive assessment of these parameters in home-cage settings. These approaches play a crucial role in analyzing and interpreting the multidimensional data collected from different parameters and have been used in the evaluation of refinement measures for, e.g., husbandry and analgesia. In the third funding period, the findings and developments will facilitate the generation of severity assessment frameworks, prediction of animal suffering, and, thereby, minimization of pain and distress. For example, the consortium has developed the Relative Severity Assessment (RELSA) algorithm, which provides a holistic view of an animal's status by considering multiple sources of information. The consortium's objectives include synthesizing the knowledge gained thus far, increasing participation and outreach, and translating research findings into routine practices. The research will focus on parameter combination, identification, and validation, further development of computational and refinement of traditional severity assessment, integration of technology, and stakeholder involvement. The consortium's work has considerable implications for animal welfare, experimental procedures, and ethical conduct in biomedical research. By disseminating their knowledge and recommendations to the scientific community, the public, and governing bodies, the consortium aims to promote evidence-based refinement measures and improve animal welfare in laboratory animal science.

• DFG Programme: Research Units
• Subproject of: FOR 2591: Severity assessment in animal-based research