Replace: Development of new alternative methods for animal testing

A search engine for alternative methods to animal experiments is being developed, based on the freely accessible life science literature database PubMed (Medline). SMAFIRA' stands for 'SMArt Feature based Interactive RAnking'.

For the development of alternative methods to animal testing, imaging microscopic techniques, such as high-throughput imaging, are often used.

We establish and perform phenotypic screening approaches to identify effects of environmental chemicals on cellular morphologies and protein distributions. The results support the toxicological assessment of environmental chemicals without animal testing.

How do the physiological characteristics of humans and animals behave? This includes the "internal clock", which as a clock generator regulates such vital processes as body temperature, cardiovascular activity and metabolic activity. To answer this, alternative testing methods are of crucial relevance.

Some chemicals and pesticides can affect the endocrine system in humans. Alternative methods can help to identify substances with oestrogenic effects in a high-throughput procedure.

The aim of the project is to establish synthetic embryos, so-called embryoids, which represent a physiological and functional in vitro model of mammalian embryogenesis. The model will be used to identify harmful substances. The model is an alternative method to animal testing.

The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) has long been used in basic research. Bf3R is investigating the importance of C. elegans as an alternative test system to animal testing in toxicology for the identification of potential health risks of industrial chemicals and pesticides on development and fertility.

Animal models are still indispensable for research into the development of bone and for biomedical studies of bone diseases. Organ chip systems are a possible alternative.