Davide Manfredini, of the Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB) Comparative Biology team, was awarded the “Refinement Grant 2023” by the Swiss 3R Competence Centre (3RCC). A grant to further improve laboratory animal welfare.
The term Refinement within the 3Rs (Replacement, Reduction, and Refinement) refers to methods aimed at reducing or alleviating pain, suffering, and stress of laboratory animals, while improving their overall well-being. A key aspect of this principle is environmental enrichment, which enhances animals’ living conditions by promoting natural behaviors through objects or stimuli that engage them both physically and mentally.
The Importance of Effective Mouse Enrichment
Currently, a wide range of objects is available for mouse enrichment. However, their effectiveness in improving animal welfare is not always adequately assessed. It is crucial to ensure that these objects provide real enrichment opportunities, avoiding situations where they quickly lose their appeal or fail to meet the species-specific needs of the animals.
Project Objectives
The project will use a scientific approach to gather robust data, through repeated observations, that will enable to assess the effectiveness of enrichment objects both in the short and long term. The ultimate goal is to identify species-appropriate objects that are desirable to the animals, cost-effective, and able to maintain novelty over time.
