University of Manchester adopts FRAME Reduction course

Students will learn how effective experimental design can reduce the number of animals needed for research and improve conditions for those that are used.

The University of Manchester has hosted courses run by the FRAME Reduction Steering Committee (FRSC) in the past but staff decided that the subject was important enough to become a permanent module offered by the Faculty of Life Sciences.

FRAME Science Office Michelle Hudson was guest lecturer for the first course run by the University. She spoke on the Legal and ethical requirements for good design.

She and senior lecturer at Manchester Dr Richard Preziosi are both members of the FRSC. She said: “Dr Preziosi felt that a course of this nature would be very beneficial to the students at Manchester, which led to its integration into the postgraduate training programme.

“This was a good opportunity to raise awareness of FRAME, the FRSC and the importance of Reduction to a new generation of young scientists.”

Good planning and design can have a major impact on reducing animal usage in research programmes and on the welfare of the animals used.  Experimental design text books usually offer no guidance on how to design individual experiments to reduce the number of animals needed or to minimise the severity of the procedures involved.

Well-planned experiment sequences can help to achieve research goals with a minimum of suffering caused to the animals.

Archived November 3 2009