ATW December 2016 : simplebooklet.com

Editorial ixJas Barley, Chair of the Editorial BoardEnhancing welfare of Zebra finches through the use of environmental enrichment 147Gordon GrayCommunicating the Culture of Care – how to win friends and influence people 151Tania Boden and Penny HawkinsInvestigation of transportation on rat acclimatisation using novel cage side recording equipment: a review 157David SimpsonPAPER SUMMARY TRANSLATIONS 163TECH-2-TECHTransmission pathways: protecting your environment 175Dan Harding and Sandy MackayAS-ET SPECIAL TRAVEL BURSARY ESSAY ENTRIESDo present United Kingdom regulations covering experiments using laboratory animals strike the right balance 181between the interests of human health and laboratory animals welfare?Rachel Blackburn-StoutDo present United Kingdom regulations covering experiments using laboratory animals strike the right balance 184between the interests of human health and laboratory animals welfare?Rachael CooperPOSTER PRESENTATIONSSurvival of the fittest: Zebrafish larval nutrition 187Sanjay Jani, Thom Berriman, Hande Tunbak, Ryan Clarke and Bruno Correia da SilvaAssessing husbandry requirements of Zebrafish (Danio rerio) and Medaka (Oryzias latipes) using background 191literature and comparative informationSamuel Blackledge, Nicola Goodwin, Bradley Clark, Paul Green, Ceri Kovacs, Michael Price and Peter ThompsonEnrichment equals behaviour management 194Jacqueline PotgieterApprenticeship scheme for animal technicians 196Bonnie Glen and Ryan CiniThe Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Named Persons and their responsibilities:What is a Named Person? 198Lesley Dr ynanThe Establishment Licence Holder (ELH) and Named Compliance Officer (NCO) 199Lesley Dr ynanThe role of the Named Training & Competency Officer (NTCO) 200Darren EganThe Named Animal Welfare and Care Officer (NACWO) 201Helen Cooper, Carolyn Karam and Claire KnoxThe Named Veterinary Surgeon (NVS) 202Marisa CoetzeeThe Named Information Officer (NIO) 203Theresa LangfordThe Home Office Liaison Officer (HOLO) 204Tracey ButcherNACWO exchange programme 205Jenny ParksIntroduction of a new training regime 208Suzie WilkinsonInstructions to Authors xIndex to Advertisers xvCONTENTSVol 15 No 3 Dece mber 2016i

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iiIAT REPRESENTATIVESOFFICERSPresidentDr Robin Lovell-Badge FRSImmediate Past PresidentProfessor Sir Richard Gardner MA PhD FRSB FIAT (Hon) FRSVice-PresidentsDavid Anderson MRCVS, Stephen Barnett BA MSc FIAT (Hon)CBiol FRSB RAnTech, Brian Cass CBE, Miles Carroll PhD,Gerald Clough BSc PhD EurBiol CBiol MRSB SFZSL,Paul Flecknell MA Vet MB PhD DLAS DipLECVA MRCVS,Sue Houlton BVSc MA DVR DVC MRCVS, Wendy Jarrett MA,Judy MacArthur-Clark CBE BVMS DLAS FRSB DVMS (h.c.), DipECLAMFRAgS DipACLAM MRCVS, Fiona McEwen BSc BVM&S MSc MRCVS,Tim Morris BVetMed PhD DipACLAM DipECLAM CBiol FRSB Cer tLASMRCVS, José Orellana BVSc MSc, Clive Page PhD BSc,Vicky Robinson CBE BSc PhD, Gail Thompson RLATG,Robert Weichbrod PhD RLATG, Lord Robert Winston FMedSci DScFRCOG FRCP FRCS Ed FRSBLife MembersCharlie Chambers MIAT RAnTech, Roger Francis MSC FIAT RAnTech,Pete Gerson MSc FIAT RAnTech, Cathy Godfrey FIAT RAnTech,John Gregory BSc (Hons) FIAT CBiol FRSB RAnTech, Patrick HayesFIAT DipBA RAnTech, Rober t Kemp FIAT (Hon) RAnTech,Keith Millican FIAT CBiol MSRB, Phil Ruddock MIAT RAnTech,Ted Wills HonFIAT RAnTech, Dorothy Woodnott FIATHonorary MembersAndy Jackson MIAT, Brian Lowe MSc FIAT RAnTech, Sue McHughBSc FIAT, Terry Priest MBE FIAT RAnTech, Trevor Richards BEMMIAT, David Spillane FIAT, Pete Willan DMS FInstLM MIATMembers of CouncilKen Applebee OBE, Matthew Bilton, Charlie Chambers,Steven Cubitt, Simon Cumming, Andy Cunningham, Haley Daniels,Glyn Fisher, Nicky Gent, Cathy Godfrey, Alan Graham, Linda Horan,Sam Jameson, Elaine Kirkum, Adele Kitching, Sarah Lane,Theresa Langford, Norman Mor tell, Steve Owen, Wendy Steel,Allan Thornhill, Lynda Westall, Carole Wilson, Adrian WoodhouseCouncil OfficersChair: Ken Applebee OBE FIAT CBiol FRSB RAnTechVice Chair: Norman Mortell BA (Hons) MIAT RAnTechHonorary Secretary: Linda Horan BSc (Hons) MIAT RAnTechHonorary Treasurer: Charlie Chambers MIAT RAnTechAssistant Treasurer: Glyn Fisher FIAT RAnTechChair Board of Educational Policy: Glyn Fisher FIAT RAnTechChair Board of Moderators: Cathy Godfrey FIAT RAnTechChair Registration & Accreditation Board: Wendy Steel BSc (Hons)FIAT RAnTechChair ATW Editorial Board: Jas Barley MSc FIAT RAnTechBulletin Editor: Sarah Lane MSc FIAT RAnTechAssistant Bulletin Editor: Carole Wilson BSc MIATBranch Liaison Officer: Lynda Westall BSc (Hons) FIAT DMS RAnTechEFAT Representative: Charlie Chambers MIAT RAnTechCouncil Website Coordinator: Allan Thornhill FIAT RAnTechIAT INFORMATIONAnimal Welfare Officers and LABA Representatives:Andy Cunningham, Matthew Bilton, Simon Cumming, Nicky GentATW/Bulletin Editorial Board: Jas Barley, Patrick Hayes,Elaine Kirkum, Sarah Lane, Carole Wilson, Lynda WestallBoard of Educational Policy: Glyn Fisher (Chair), Steven Cubitt(Secretary)Board of Moderators: Cathy Godfrey (Chair), Haley Daniels(Secretary) Moderators: Anthony Iglesias, Theresa Langford,Jenny ParksCommunications Group: Norman Mortell (Chair), Elaine Kirkum,Teresa Langford, Allan Thornhill, Lynda Westall, Adrian WoodhouseRegistration and Accreditation Board: Wendy Steel (Chair),Sarah Lane (Secretary), Ken Applebee, Charlie Chambers,John Gregory, Cathy Godfrey, Stuart Stevenson, Carol WilliamsObservers: Charles Gentry (Certificate Holders Forum),Adrian Deeny (LASA), Ian Mason (Home Office), Ngaire Dennison(LAVA), Kathy Ryder (Home Office), Lucy Whitfield (LAVA)Congress Committee: Alan Graham (Chair), Haley Daniels,Linda Horan, Adele Kitching, Allan ThornhillAdvertisement Managers: PRC Associates LtdEmail: mail@prcassoc.co.ukDiversity Officer: Haley DanielsIAT OFFICERS MAY BE CONTACTED VIA:IAT Administrator: admin@iat.org.ukOR VIA THE IAT WEBSITE AT: www.iat.org.ukOR VIA THE REGISTERED OFFICE:5 South Parade, Summertown, Oxford OX2 7JLAlthough every effort is made to ensure that no inaccurate or misleading data,opinion or statement appear in the journal, the Institute of Animal Technologywish to expound that the data and opinions appearing in the articles, posterpresentations and advertisements in ATW are the responsibility of thecontributor and advertiser concerned. Accordingly the IAT, Editor and theiragents, accept no liability whatsoever for the consequences of any suchinaccurate or misleading data, opinion, statement or advertisement beingpublished. Furthermore the opinions expressed in the journal do notnecessarily reflect those of the Editor or the Institute of Animal Technology.© 2016 Institute of Animal TechnologyAll rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproducedwithout permission from the publisher.BRANCH SECRETARIES 2016Aberdeen: Ms Donna Wallace aberdeenbranch@iat.org.ukCambridge: Ms Fran Flack cambridgebranch@iat.org.ukEdinburgh: Ms Janice Young edinburghbranch@iat.org.ukHertfordshire & Essex: Ms Joanna Cruden hertsessexbranch@iat.org.ukHuntingdon, Suffolk & Norfolk: Ms Jo Martin hssbranch@iat.org.ukIreland: Ms Silke Kleefeld irelandbranch@iat.org.ukLondon: Ms Jayne Holby londonbranch@iat.org.ukMidlands: Mr Ian Fielding midlandsbranch@iat.org.ukNorth East England: Ms Rachael Handisides and Ms Joanne Bland northeastbranch@iat.org.ukNorth West: Ms Gail Morrissey cheshirebranch@iat.org.ukOxford: Mr Adrian Woodhouse oxfordbranch@iat.org.ukSurrey, Hampshire & Sussex: Ms Francesca Whitmore shsbranch@iat.org.ukWest Middlesex: Ms Wendy Steel westmiddxbranch@iat.org.ukWest of Scotland: Ms Linda Horan westscotlandbranch@iat.org.uk

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December 2016 Animal Technology and WelfareEditorialJas BarleyChair of the Editorial Board“How long does it take to train as an animal technician”?; “I do not know”, I glibly replied, “I have never stopped”.That was at a school’s career convention, many years ago and I doubt if the student ever considered animal technologyas a career again. It is a shame but in some cases truth is not the best policy! Once we have left school and rejoicethat we have left the restrictions of education behind we of course quickly realise that education in fact continues farbeyond the classroom and that life is one big lesson. I am continually amazed at the way we go on learning, sometimesby accepting new challenges well into our later years and sometimes by just staying alive and learning from ourexperiences. Many of you know that I am involved in Adult Education and our current student ages range from the early20s to 83 and recently I invigilated an examination in which an 86year-old was sitting an entry Level 3 examination inMathematics and was cheerfully explaining that he was planning to go onto do a GCSE in Mathematics.Animal Technologists are no strangers to life-long learning regardless of whether they are just undertaking their firsttraining course within the workplace, attending formal IAT qualification courses, working towards a degree or learninghow to teach. Most of the content in this issue contains some element of learning, the very fact that you pick thisjournal up and read it contributes to your knowledge. Gordon Gray shares his experiences with different forms ofenvironmental enrichment for Zebra finches and has asked himself the question when does something become a basichusbandry need rather than an enrichment. Communication is part of education as Tania Boden and Penny Hawkinsdemonstrate in the paper on how to influence the Culture of Care at your establishment. The final formal paper is aliterature review of the effects of transportation on rats by Dave Simpson. This is part of a MSc dissertation and furthermaterial will appear in later issues of Animal Technology and Welfare.I am pleased to be able to include the thought-provoking information from the Congress 2016 workshop ontransmission pathways which shows us the importance of good hygiene. One of the main challenges AnimalTechnologists face is the constant review of the animals in our care welfare, regardless of size, position on theevolutionary ladder, etc and we have some good examples of how welfare has been improved in species ranging fromZebrafish to Non-Human Primates. The Congress 2016 Best Poster Award winner was a poster from the team at KingsCollege, looking at Zebrafish nutrition at the larval stage. Zebrafish feature also in the poster from the Sanger Institute.Training and education are major elements in the remaining posters including the series of posters from the Laboratoryof Molecular Biology. If one person is reminded of the responsibilities the Named Persons hold under the Animal(Scientific Procedures) Act, 1986 then it is a lesson well learnt.One of the biggest contributions the Institute of Animal Technology has made to the lives of Animal Technicians hasbeen to provide formal education and we should say thank you to both the early pioneers of animal technologyeducation and today’s Board of Educational Policy who strive to keep our qualifications relevant to the modern industrywe work in.August front cover photograph: RSPCA by permission of Penny HawkinsFront cover photograph: Lindsay DuckettATW PROFILEAnimal Technology and Welfare aims to be the medium for animal technologists and all those concerned with the care and welfare of animals used for researchpurposes to communicate ‘best practice’. ATW especially aims to promote and develop the 3Rs particularly in respect of Refinement. More impor tantly, ATWpromotes the generally accepted ‘4th R’, Responsibility. The responsibility that all animal technologists have in ensuring dissemination of ‘best practice’ to everyinstitution using animals in research. ATW enjoys a unique position as the scientific publication for the leading organisations (IAT and EFAT) for the welfare ofanimals in research.Editor: Jas Barley atweditor@iat.org.ukTHE INSTITUTE OF ANIMAL TECHNOLOGYETHICAL STATEMENTOur purpose is to advance knowledge and promote excellence in the care and welfare ofanimals in science and to enhance the standards and status of those professionallyengaged in the care, welfare and use of animals in science.

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December 2016 Animal Technology and Welfare147Enhancing welfare of Zebra finches throughthe use of environmental enrichmentGORDON GRAYInstitute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow,Graham Kerr Building, Glasgow G12 9QQCorrespondence: gordon.gray@glasgow.ac.ukAbstractThis article will describe alterations made by theUniversity of Glasgow to increase the welfare of ourZebra finches by providing them with a more complexenvironment to engage with. It will describe how wehave maximised the enrichment potential within thecages giving our finches greater choices of activity, thusimproving their quality of life. Furthermore, it willdiscuss how adjustments made to the macroenvironment have positively impacted on our finches,enabling them to display a range of natural behavioursthat would not normally occur in a researchenvironment.Key words: Zebra finches, welfare, environment,natural behavioursIntroductionCaptive animals are provided with a ‘care free’ life.Food and water is supplied, there are no predators toavoid, mates are quite often selected for them andsocial groupings are usually stable and structured.However, does this make for a complete and variedlife? The skills needed to evade predators, attractmates and to forage, challenge an animal’s instinct andintelligence, preventing boredom and increasing thephysical and psychological welfare of the animal. In aresearch environment, animals are unable to expressand display these types of behaviour naturally andinstead need to be stimulated to keep them healthyand active. This is where the role of environmentalenrichment comes in.The Zebra finchZebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata castanotis) aresmall passerines native to Australia. Their favouredhabitat is dry wooded areas near watering holes andthey typically live in large flocks of up to 100 birds ormore. The name ‘Zebra finch’ is gained because of theblack and white striped markings on their tail feathersthat are likened to that of a Zebra’s coat. Zebra finchesare one of the most widely used passerines in avianresearch alongside the European starling (Sturnusvulgaris) and the house sparrow (Passer domesticus).Passerines are useful and interesting researchsubjects and are particularly valuable because theircharacteristics differentiate from other laboratoryanimals such as the production of intricatevocalisation.1The University of Glasgow has maintaineda Zebra finch colony for over 25 years and they arecurrently involved in a 5-year study looking at aspectsof stress and longevity.The cage environmentMost the finches at Glasgow are housed inexperimental cages, although some are housed in largeaviaries that allow for more social interaction andspace for flight. Zebra finches are gregarious and wekeep all our finches in social groups with a maximumstocking density of ten birds per double cage (120cm x50cm x 50cm) and sixty birds per large aviary (2m x 2mx 2m). Our main objective when using enrichment in ourcages is to create conditions that our birds can thrivein whilst still utilising space and complying withresearch requirements. Within the cages we haveprovided a specific environment that has beenevaluated based on the finches’ needs, allowing themto perform essential components of their behaviouralrepertoire.Figure 1. The basic recommended cage set up underthe current guidelines.2

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Enhancing welfare of zebra finches through the use of environmental enrichment148Variation in perchesWild birds can perch on a variety of objects andsurfaces; however, in a research environment theoptions are unfortunately limited. Birds are on theirfeet for most of their lives and it is vitally importantthey remain in the best condition as possible. Diversityamongst perches is crucial in insuring the health andwelfare of our Zebra finches and has played a large rolein preventing health problems and counteracting issueswith our birds’ feet and legs that have already occurred.In order to create a more dynamic living environmentwe have given the finches the option of two differentstyles of perch: rigid and twist. When a bird lands on arigid perch it is completely firm, whereas when a birdlands on a twist perch it flexes causing the bird to jostleinto position to maintain its balance. Twist perchesforce birds to alter their body posture when taking offor landing which also impacts the birds that are alreadystatic on the perches as it creates a ripple effect ofmovement.3This increases activity and strengthens thebird’s core muscles to enable it to control its positionon the perch. The perching is also set at differentheight inclines around the cage creating variety and atthe same time also allowing the birds to fully utilise asmuch of the enclosure as possible. In addition becauseof the extra space available in the flight aviaries, theyare fitted with a wider variety of perch sizes and types.This offers further exercise potential to the muscles ofthe feet and claws.Increased effort when feedingThe Zebra finches housed within our facility are fed on astandard regular mixed millet diet and the food hasalways been provided in dishes on the floor. Zebrafinches have a very high metabolic rate and thereforehave been fed ab libitum as this sufficiently fulfils theirenergy requirements. With constant access to foodhowever, instances of overweight and inactive birdsbecame more frequent and it was apparent that adifferent feeding method would need to be incorporatedin order to improve the health of the colony. Afterconsideration it was decided that the introduction ofhanging millet sprays in the centre of each cage wouldbe the simplest and most effective technique to combatthis issue. Millet sprays are grass seed stems filled withseed that are a popular food source for many avianspecies. In the wild Zebra finches often feed on grassseed heads, showing incredible agility in their feet asthey perch on the stems. The millet sprays we use onlycontain one type of millet, which does not contain all thevitamins and nutrients needed to sustain the birds;however, it does contribute to a balanced healthy diet.A reduced amount of seed is added to the dishes on thefloor because of this and the millet sprays are suppliedas an additional food source. This provides the birdswith the choice of different feeding methods and helpsto prevent the amount of excess seed that is wasted.Figure 2. Zebra finch gripping the hanging millet.Figure 3. Showing the clothes peg and Velcro pad usedto attached the millet spray to the roof of the cage.The millet sprays are hung by using a clothes peg, twoVelcro pads and small cable tie (shown in Figure 3).This method is used as the flat surface of the cageceiling does not allow the millet to be attached in anyother way. Hanging the millets in the centre of the cage,out of reach of any of the perches, mimics a naturalfeeding method and encourages the birds to workharder for their food. To feed from the millet, finchesmust grip with their feet using different foot musclesthan they would normally use to perch. The musclesused to maintain balance whilst feeding improves thestrength and coordination of the bird, making themphysically stronger. A foraging opportunity is alsooffered when providing the millets, as the birds need to

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Enhancing welfare of zebra finches through the use of environmental enrichment149har vest their own seed, which provides mentalstimulation as well as increased physical activity.Access to a bathWater baths are provided to our finches in Glasgow ata minimum of once a week as part of their routinehusbandry. Observations made by the animal housestaff have shown that the birds display a range ofdifferent behaviours when they are about to bepresented with a bath. When other birds within eyesightare being presented with baths an increase invocalisation and alertness can be seen fromindividuals and they appear excited knowing they toowill soon be given access. This desire to bathe mayindicate a strong instinct as their wild counterpartsreap many benefits from bathing, making it a crucialpart of their lives. Baths play an important role inmaintenance by keeping feathers in the best conditionpossible for as long as possible. While bathing, birdsopen and close certain feather tracts to expose thespaces between them momentarily to water which isthen entrapped and squeezed through their feathers tocleanse them. Parasites not only cause irritation onwild finches they also damage the ends of feathers,making them look slightly sheared or ragged. Whilepreening, birds tidy and repair their feathers, adjustingand aligning each feather in the optimum position.Having access to bathing water encourages birds topreen which also helps to reduce the amounts ofparasites on the birds, improving feather health. Theflight performance of birds is also said to be increasedwhen water is available for bathing purposes. It hasbeen said that birds that are not able to bathe regularlyare clumsier flyers compared with birds that are able tobathe as they are more agile and find it easier to evadepredators.4Zebra finches do not have elaborate matingrituals and therefore rely on their bright feathers toattract potential mates. Water access for bathingpurposes allows males to clean their colour fulfeathers, which helps individuals to stand out from thecompetition, as their feathers gleam, in the hope ofreproducing and passing on their genetic information.The eagerness to bathe shows the finches’ natural rawinstinct and although in captivity they do not need toescape predators or compete for mates, it is easy tounderstand the drive these birds possess to bathebeyond their own enjoyment.Temperature fluctuationIn the wild Zebra finches thrive in a range of conditions,from the scorching heat of the day to the freezing coldtemperatures of the evening. Taking these temperaturegradients into consideration and in direct contrast to aconventional animal house where a steady day andnight temperature is expected to be maintained, for thebirds we have engineered into our heating systemcooler temperatures for the evening.3Our temperaturesfluctuate between 10-30°C in order to comply withHome Office guidelines, despite the fact that thesebirds are able to endure a wider temperature range intheir natural environment. The cooler eveningenvironment prompts the birds to fluff up their featherswhich traps air inside the layers, providing insulation.This external signal also causes the finches tocongregate on the perches and huddle together foradditional warmth. These traits are exhibited by wildZebra finches to allow thermoregulation during the coldnights and additionally act to reduce the amount ofwind on individuals. Decreasing the temperatures inour aviaries in the evening mimics our finches’authentic environment and allows them to expressbehaviours that would be unseen if a consistent dayand night temperature was maintained. This minorchange has induced behaviours that strengthen groupbonding and encourage social interaction while alsoexposing the birds to an environmental regime thatthey would encounter in their natural habitat.Soft set lightingThe lights in our aviaries are on for fourteen hours eachday between seven in the morning and nine in theevening. We maintain this daylight cycle throughout theyear as it is needed to reduce seasonal changes in ourfinches’ hormone levels as set in the current projectlicence. This routine is kept constant which gives thebirds a rhythm and pattern to their day as theysynchronize with fluctuations in the environment. Softset lighting is used throughout the bird facility whichslowly fades in and out over a thirty-minute period.3Forany species of animal it may be distressing for the lightto immediately flash on or off. The fading light systemsallow the finches time to comfortably adjust to theirsurroundings. The gradual changes in light intensitymimic the natural rise and set of the sun, providing thebirds with environmental cues that allow them time torise in the morning and settle in the evening. It hasbeen recorded that birds that roost communally willexpress unique behaviours as the light starts to fadeFigure 4. A Zebra finch perching on the water bath.

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Enhancing welfare of zebra finches through the use of environmental enrichment150before eventually turning completely dark. As previouslymentioned, communal roosters will gather on the samebranch or perch in the evening with the purpose ofretaining heat as well as attempting to evadepredators. Individuals farthest away from the centre ofthe branch or perch will hop over other birds to securea spot closest to the midpoint. This action will repeatitself with more and more birds being pushed from theiroriginal spots forcing them to repeat the cycle whichwill eventually end when the birds settle once the lightlevels have dropped completely. This behaviour isdisplayed by the birds in an attempt to reduce theirdomain of danger assuming a predator generallyattacks the closest individual to it.Night-lightsMaintaining a natural balance of exposure to daylightand darkness is an essential component of sleepingwell, however this does not mean animal housesshould be completely pitch black at night. There are alot of positive benefits from keeping a low light sourceas opposed to complete darkness, leading to theintroduction of night lights fitted in the ceiling of eachof our aviaries at Glasgow. In a Zebra finch’s naturalhabitat, light is emitted from the moon at nightproviding a low light source for the birds. Welfarebenefits are provided when using this environmentalfactor and, given that it occurs naturally in the wild, it isreasonable to assume they would wish to be exposedto this in captivity. Birds do not lie down to sleep, theyinstead tighten their tendons so that their toes lockaround the perch keeping them secure. Some birds canfall from their perch during a deep sleep if they arelifted from the perch or nudged by other birds in thesame cage. This would cause their feet to un-flex,loosening their tight grip around the perch sur face.Being on the ground alone in darkness is very stressfulas they are vulnerable from predation in the wild. Abird’s natural instinct is to automatically fly upwardsremoving themselves from danger and returning to thebranch which can be done safely as the birds are ableto see in the moonlight. With no illumination, captivebirds can potentially injure themselves as they thrashagainst the cage walls and mesh in an attempt to reacha perch. The night-lights allow unobscured vision whicheliminates any potential problems for our Zebrafinches. In an ideal environment, light intensity andtemperature fluctuations would be co-ordinated tomimic seasonal changes similar to the naturalenvironment of our Zebra finches. However, if theseseasonal light and temperature patterns were matchedunder our current research project it would introducetoo many variables which could affect the resultingdata. This is an environmental regime that wouldfurther help to create a more natural stimulatingenvironment for our birds and providing it would notinterfere with any prospective research projects, it issomething that could be incorporated in the nearfuture.ConclusionProviding animals with an enriched environment isequally as important as supplying them with nutrition andveterinary care. Keeping an animal in captivity requirescareful selection of environmental conditions in order toinduce the desired physiology and behaviour. Byimproving conditions, we are promoting good welfare,which reduces instances of stereotypical behaviour.Stereotypical behaviours are only found in captiveanimals and are a result of poor psychological wellbeing,which results in repetitive fixed patterns of behaviourwith no apparent purpose. Creating a dynamicenvironment with a range of stimuli for animals toengage with increases brain weight and developmentmaking research results fairer and more accurate whenbeing compared with animals that are deprived in theirsurroundings. Captive environments that are notcomplex enough to allow animals to perform behavioursessential for reproduction or survival in the wild can.5Theproduction of sound research models is an extremelyimportant factor when considering an environmental setup, as is the impact on the welfare of the animal.Environmental enrichment provides purpose for animalsand increases their ability to cope with behaviouralchallenges such as exposure to humans andexperimental manipulation. At Glasgow, the steps wehave taken to refine our finches’ living conditions havecontributed to producing physically and psychologicallyhealthier birds, which are now far stronger researchmodels and act to produce data of the highest quality.AcknowledgementsI would like to thank Graham Law, Ruedi Nager andRoss Phillips for information and assistance that hasled to the production of this article. Thanks also toGraham Law for the use of the photographs.References1Bateson, M. and Feenders, G. (2010). The use ofpasserine bird species in laborator y research:implications of basic biology for husbandry and welfare.ILAR Journal, 51 (4), 394-408.2Home Office (2014). Code of Practice for the Housing andCare of Animals Bred, Supplied or Used for ScientificPurposes. This publication is available at www.gov.uk/government/publications Print ISBN 9781474112390Web ISBN 97814741124063Law, G., Nager, R., Laurie, J., Kirk, A., McLachlan, K.,Adam, G. and Armstrong, D. (2010). Aspects of thedesign of a new birdhouse at the University of Glasgow’sFaculty of Biomedical and Life Sciences. AnimalTechnology and Welfare, 9 (1), 25.4Brilot, B.O., Asher, L., and Bateson, M. (2009). Waterbathing alters the speed-accuracy trade-off of escapeflights in European starlings. Animal Behaviour, 78 (4),801-807.5Garner, J.P. (2005). Stereotypies and other abnormalrepetitive behaviors: potential impact on validity,reliability, and replicability of scientific outcomes. IlarJournal, 46 (2), 106-117.

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151December 2016 Animal Technology and WelfareCommunicating the Culture of Care – howto win friends and influence people*TANIA BODEN1AND PENNY HAWKINS21UCB Celltech, 208 Bath Road, Slough, Berkshire SL1 3WE2RSPCA Research Animals Department, Wilberforce Way, Southwater, West Sussex RH13 9RS*Correspondence: tania.boden@ucb.comSummaryPlenty of information is available on potentialrefinements to procedures, housing, husbandry andcare but achieving buy-in from colleagues andimplementation in practice is not alwaysstraightforward. This paper discusses how animaltechnologists and named persons can communicateeffectively about refinement which will contributetowards a positive local Culture of Care and sets outsome action points to help with the development ofcommunication skills.IntroductionThis paper was prompted by a presentation given byTania Boden at a meeting on reducing and avoidingsevere suffering which was convened by the RSPCAand held in Brussels in June 2016. The talk describeda process of refining rheumatoid arthritis researchusing mice and rats and how this was fed into anexpert working group report but it also included someextremely useful guidance on how to communicateeffectively and positively about refinement so that youcan make a significant difference for the animals.1The expert working group on refining rheumatoidarthritis was also convened by the RSPCA and involvedpeople from different disciplines with differentexpertise, who shared a common goal of improvingwelfare in rheumatoid arthritis models. This includedscientists and animal technologists from industry andacademia, a laboratory animal veterinarian, a HomeOffice Inspector and representatives from scientificwelfare organisations, thus providing a valuableopportunity for everyone to interact and draw uppractical, feasible recommendations that would reduceseverity without compromising the science. The basisfor these was that a significant reduction in sufferingcould be achieved by introducing a number ofrefinements such as appropriate environmentalenrichment tailored to rheumatoid arthritis studies, thepotential to use analgesia, refining handling methods,refining welfare assessments and humane endpoints.These were based on the literature and good practiceamong the authors, published in an open accessjournal and shared widely.1From publication to practice – goodcommunication is keySo far, so good but how can animal technologistspresent project and personal licence holders withrefinements like these and suggest that they apply themto their established animal models? Although someresearchers are keen to trial refinements, you mayencounter one or more of these common reactions:G noG why?G what’s the benefit?G ‘task to value’ ratio (i.e. if they completed the ‘task’,how much value would it add to the experiment)?G how much time will it take?G how much more will it cost?G will this affect variability or reproducibility?G will I have to change the licence?G if I have to ...Some of these responses will be down to humannature, as people are generally reluctant to changetheir behaviour or tr y new things.2In the case ofscientists, they are also working in a highly pressuredand ver y competitive environment which is adisincentive to change established practices if theseare believed to work well enough.3However, if you arewell-prepared and working in a facility with a goodculture of care, it should be possible to effectivelytackle these obstacles through positive discussionsand good communication skills.Animal technologists are actually in a strong positionwhen it comes to influencing practice and promotingrefinement, for two reasons. First, always rememberthat the 3Rs (Replacement, Reduction and Refinement)are embedded into the Animals (Scientific Procedures)Act, 1986 (ASPA) and the Home Office expects allestablishments to create and maintain a good localCulture of Care.4,5This should include striving to

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Communicating the Culture of Care – how to win friends and influence people152achieve good practice with respect to all aspects ofever y animal’s lifetime, through discussion andagreement with all stakeholders. There should be anongoing dialogue to reflect new knowledge aboutanimal welfare, refinement and the 3Rs, which can onlybe successful if ever ybody works towards a commongoal. Ever yone should feel free to initiate discussionswithout having to ask permission which creates abetter Culture of Care for people and animals alike.Secondly, animal technologists often have a soundbasis for promoting refinement because they frequentlyaccess information on 3Rs initiatives such aswebsites, meetings and presentations, in addition totheir training which includes animal welfare, 3Rs andethics components.6The technologist’s role within anorganisation often includes working with and caring fora wide range of animals, at different ages, differentsexes and of different strains, used in differentprocedures. Animal technologists therefore gainknowledge based on a wide variety of observations andinteractions, along with a sound theoretical backgroundof animal biology and welfare.7A ten point planDespite the above, it is sometimes difficult to persuaderesearchers to change their protocols and applyrefinements (especially with established animal‘models’) as they fear this will affect their results.However, constructive discussion can help to identifywhether objections are perceived or real and how tomove forward. Good preparation will help you to makeyour case. Here is a ten point plan for successfulpersuasion:1. Do some background reading, so that you knowsome more about the science. This helps topromote mutual respect of one another’s workbetween scientists and animal technologists. Forexample, you could review project licences and seewhether there are any areas that you could discussand suggest improvements. Check scientific papersand welfare websites for ideas and initiatives ornote down your own ideas. Your Named InformationOfficer should be able to help you with this.2. Start a conversation, rather than confronting. Thisdoes not have to be a formal conversation; it couldbe within the laboratory, animal rooms, canteen orthe car park! Do not confront people with the latestwelfare journal papers and demand to know whythey haven’t instigated the newest practices; theidea is to create a culture in which chatting aboutwelfare is normal and everybody feels comfortabledoing so. Show your interest; chat to the researcherand ask them to explain their project and itsobjectives – you might be surprised how keen theyare to discuss their experiments and the sciencebehind them. Then you can discuss refinements ...3. Think about the questions you may be asked. Allscientists will have questions or concerns aboutthe effects of refinements on their experiments;some examples are in the list of common reactionsabove. Considering in advance how you mightrespond to these will help you to keep theconversation flowing and sell the idea ofimplementing refinement. Remember the legal andethical imperative to implement refinement too;adequate resource should be made available by theestablishment or funding body.4. Be enthusiastic about the refinements you aresuggesting – this is often catching! If you areexcited about what you might achieve together, youare more likely to have an upbeat conversationwhich will end with a positive result.5. Reiterate the positives. It is widely accepted thatbetter welfare means better science andimplementing Refinement (and the other 3Rs) alsooften leads to financial savings or more effectiveuse of resources. Talk about all the benefitsassociated with the 3Rs and point out that smallchanges can make big differences.6. Offer to work together. Volunteer your assistanceto implement any changes, keep logs of animalbehaviour as a way of evaluating refinements orliaise with named persons regarding any changes.7. End with an agreement. Even if you only agree todiscuss things further, you have achieved a tacitacknowledgement that there may be room forimprovement. Do not give up!8. Review any changes. Always explore what worked,what did not and what might work if some changesare made. This should be an ongoing process andit maps on to Animal Welfare and Ethical ReviewBody (AWERB) tasks such as following thedevelopment and outcome of projects.4,5Use your AWERBThere are several AWERB tasks that should help youpromote the Culture of Care and communicate aboutrefinement. For example, AWERBs should:G support named persons and other staff dealing withanimals, on animal welfare, ethical issues andprovision of appropriate training;G help to promote a Culture of Care;G promote awareness of animal welfare and the ThreeRs andG provide a forum for discussion and development ofethical advise to the establishment licence holder onall matters related to animal welfare, care and use.If you are an active member of your AWERB, you can alsohelp it to advise staff on animal welfare and theapplication of the Three Rs; follow the development andoutcome of projects (including implementation ofrefinement) and review processes for monitoringwelfare.4,5,8

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Communicating the Culture of Care – how to win friends and influence people1539. Feedback to colleagues who have had an input, aswell as to a wider audience.10. Suggest that your establishment offers incentivesto implement the 3Rs. The AWERB could be a goodforum to put this forward (see box). Incentives couldinclude funding attendance at a relevant conference,peer recognition or a cash prize. Different people aremotivated by different rewards; scientists may bemore motivated by the opportunity to produce aposter or publish a paper on their initiative.Producing papers or posters is also a good idea topromote mutual respect and sharing of ideas, aseveryone can collaborate on these.The overarching concepts are that it is highly beneficialfor animal technologists to positively engage scientistsin the 3Rs and your interactions with scientists shouldnot be seen as something negative or that happens onlywhen there is a problem. For example, when there arenew starters, make sure you can take some time toshow them around the facility and let them know thatthe animal care team is available to help and advisethem. It is also important to communicate with animalcare staff and explain to them the reasons forrefinements to non-regulated activities such as cagecleaning or animal handling. People are often asked touse techniques and equipment without any backgroundexplanation, so they proceed without thinking about whythey are doing things that way or whether furtherrefinements might be possible.Whoever you are speaking with, beginning with a positiveinteraction, e.g. by praising people for good practice, canthen make it easier to persuade them to try furtherrefinements. For example, you could start a conversationon a topic such as the length of time animals are inwarming cabinets or why a particular needle size is beingused, explaining the impact on the animals and sayinghow positive it is to see good practice. You could discussalternative approaches, or just tell them about newinitiatives you have seen on websites or at meetings. Ifthis is done often enough, it becomes normal to discussthe 3Rs and animal welfare; this can be achieved at alllevels and with all job roles. A further benefit of makingsuch discussions normal working practice is that anyconcerns are likely to arise in discussions betweencolleagues, making it more likely that any issues will bedealt with before they escalate.Beyond conversationsAnother way of communicating positively is to create anewsletter that goes out regularly to all licence holdersand unit staff, with updates on available training, newequipment, new members of staff and any particularexpertise they have, meetings such as the AWERB andexternal meetings. The newsletter can also includelinks to internal and external resources and initiativesrelating to animal welfare and the3Rs, with relevantcontact details.Figure 1. Poster showing a healthy rabbit.Legend: Poster by Mark Hasler, UCB–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––* This information is also useful with respect to reportingexperimental results according to the ARRIVE guidelines;nc3rs.org.uk/ARRIVECreating posters is another option for communication,for example setting out information about the specieshoused in each room with good practice for diet, lightcycles, enrichment, social housing and temperatureetc. (Figure 1),* or reminding people to check theirproject licences and local good practice for dosing andblood sampling.You could also produce posters depicting healthyanimals, stating ‘I am healthy’ with some positiveimages. These can also be used to check and assessthe welfare of experimental animals, as sometimesscientists forget what a healthy animal looks likebecause they are used to dealing with sick animals!Changing the posters regularly will help to keep peopleinterested.A practical exampleTable 1 sets out how good communications and teamwork enabled significant progress with both developingan establishment’s Culture of Care and refining thecollagen-induced arthritis (CIA) and collagen antibody-induced (CAIA) mouse model of rheumatoid arthritis.

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Communicating the Culture of Care – how to win friends and influence people154RefinementDBA/1 male mice were used for the CIA protocol which is quite anaggressive strain. We found that keeping the mice in the facility one monthbefore the start of the experiment increased the incidence of rheumatoidarthritis (which was probably an immunological effect) but also increasedfighting. The increased aggression was a concern and could have had theopposite effect on disease uptake due to stress. After discussion with thescientist, we tried different approaches to reduce fighting. Working together,and communicating regularly, we introduced:– The number of animals per cage was reduced to 5, after ensuring thatthis was appropriate for experimental group sizes. The animals were lesslikely to form separate groups and fight for dominance. We also put twohouses in the cage, so in the case of any aggression they would haveseparate areas within the cage or would not guard the house.– We also put wheels within the cage, finding that the animals wouldexpend energy on wheel running rather than each other!– A study to see whether we could use females. This would reduce theproblems with aggression but all historic data and other labs use males.We aimed to evaluate responses in males and females, in the hope thatthere were no significant differences so we could use females in thefuture.The injection site at the base of the tail became a concern, as the adjuvantoften caused ulceration or sores on this very thin piece of skin. Discussionwith the scientist about moving injection sites revealed concerns aboutmoving away from sites near the draining lymph nodes, in case this resultedin less disease. So, in each further study, the injection sites were movedslightly further away from the base of the tail towards the flanks whilemonitoring the disease incidence.Next, we found that animal models which relied on an observational scoringsystem, such as CIA, could be liable to bias if the experiment was scored bya person who had an interest in the outcome. As a result we decided to useanimal technologists to score the animals daily, or to check the scientists’scores twice a week. The techs worked closely with the scientists for a fewweeks until everybody was satisfied that they were scoring the animals in thesame way. The animal technologists then took over scoring and passed theresults to the scientists.It was then noticed that some animals were scratching around their injectionsites and causing ulceration. We consulted with the scientist and the NVS,who recommended the use of EMLA local anaesthetic cream to relieve thesymptoms. The scratching stopped!Animals developing rheumatoid arthritis were still eating less food and losingweight. We therefore started to supplement their food with more palatable orfavourable treats beforeestimated disease onset. This was discussed withthe scientist and agreement was reached on what we both would be happywith. We put more palatable food (Nutella®and wet mash), sunflower seeds,and orange segments on the cage floor, with longer nozzles on the waterbottles so the animals did not have to reach up so much.In the light of the above improvements, we could then review the welfarescoring sheet and reduce humane endpoints, include the Mouse GrimaceScale (MGS) and score cumulative suffering. The score sheets for CIA andCAIA were differentiated, as we found the disease symptoms were differentand this needed to be captured, and new endpoints added, for CAIA.Next, a literature review suggested that the antibody cocktail amounts for theinduction of CAIA produced a disease profile that was more severe than wasactually needed to study drug efficacy. The project and personal licenceholders worked together to titrate the antibody to a level that gave a lesssevere outcome for the animals.Immediately after the CAIA challenge with lipopolysaccharide (LPS),difficulties were encountered with blood sampling due to transient effects ofLPS. This was noted by the NACWO, who asked whether the blood volumesfor PK profiling could be reduced. The licence holder investigated this withother departments and it was agreed to reduce the volumes.We discussed and trialled different analgesics, with an on-going process totry and quantify or measure success.The most recent refinement is the introduction of Vetbed®to restrain animalswith swollen paws.Outcome of reviewWhen the numbers per cage were reduced and wheels were added, diseaseuptake was slightly improved, fighting was reduced, fewer animals had to beseparated and experimental groups remained constant, leading to lessvariability. This did not take any more time, and the only financial outlay wasthe wheels and houses which are re-used. Both the scientist and the NACWOwere content with the situation.The outcome of the ‘males vs. females’ study was inconclusive and morework is needed on this.The scientist and NACWO were happy with the injection sites. Using the newsites took no more time, the disease incidence stayed the same,complications at injection sites were reduced and we have only needed tohumanely kill very few animals due to ulceration.Everybody was content with this approach, which gave more involvement toanimal technologists, freed up the scientists’ time and hopefully reduced anybias.Fewer animals developed ulceration and had to be euthanased, thereforeoverall experimental numbers were reduced.There was no impact on the disease process, no animals were euthanasedfor weight loss and we were able to reduce endpoints from 20% to 15%(although we rarely see weight loss of more than 5%).Refining the scoring sheets reduced endpoints and enabled the introductionof new scoring parameters e.g. the MGS.Refining the protocol enabled an efficacious animal model, where very fewanimals reached the endpoints which meant reductions in both animalnumbers and suffering.The impact on the animals was reduced and the procedure became easierfor the personal licence holder.We have successfully used analgesics in drinking water in some studies,1which has enabled us to alleviate pain without handling the animals (and hasnot compromised the science). Work to evaluate the effectiveness ofdifferent analgesics, using a battery of different techniques including theMGS, is ongoing.It is much easier to handle animals, presumably because it is less painful forthem. We now use Vetbed®when training staff to handle animals.Table 1. Step by step refinement of rheumatoid arthritis studies.

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Communicating the Culture of Care – how to win friends and influence people155This was a well-established model that had beenrunning for a number of years and there was resistanceto change any part of the protocol, or how the animalswere cared for, in case this changed the diseaseprocess. So, we suggested implementing refinementsin steps and reviewing each change. Introducing smallchanges in this way has had a big impact on theprocedures themselves, reducing numbers and severityand improving the science.9The process ofresearching, considering and implementingrefinements has evolved so that it now includes allparties; the Named Animal Care and Welfare Officer(NACWO), Named Veterinar y Surgeon (NVS), projectand personal licence holders, animal technologists andcare staff. As the researchers could see the benefits totheir science over time, they began to suggest furtherimprovements and refinements, especially when itbecame clear that most of the refinements had no costor time implications and actually made the experimentseasier.It became a normal process to discuss and follow therefinements on a daily basis until everybody was happywith the refined protocols. Along with the positiveoutcome for the animals, in terms of reduced severity,the process has had a positive effect on everybody thathas been involved. Some positive outcomes are:1. Two internal 3Rs prizes have been won.2. A poster was presented at the Laboratory AnimalScience Association annual congress.3. A scientist and the Facility Manager/NACWO/Named Training and Competency Officer (NTCO)jointly presented a talk at the RSPCA/UniversitiesFederation for Animal Welfare (UFAW) RodentWelfare Meeting.104. Participation in an Expert Working Group on refiningrheumatoid arthritis research,1which also led tocollaboration between academic and industryscientists with respect to refinement.5. A talk was presented at the international meeting onreducing severe suffering convened by the RSPCA in2016.All of the above have assisted in career developmentand these examples can be used as a ‘carrot’ whendiscussing other models with other scientists.Conclusions and action pointsSo-called ‘soft skills’, such as communication skills,assertiveness and the ability to build relationships, areessential for animal technologists who want to helpbuild their establishment’s Culture of Care andpromote the 3Rs, including Refinement. However, littleif any training in these skills is routinely provided foranimal technologists or other people who are critical tothe Culture of Care such as AWERB members.11Wehope this paper provides some encouragement anduseful tips for those who want to have more of aninfluence at their establishment and elsewhere andsuggest the actions below as a starting point.G be confident in your knowledge base, connectionsand trainingG ... or if you are not, talk to a sympathetic seniorcolleague (such as a NACWO) about how you couldwork on theseG set yourself a goal of getting to know more of theresearchers at your facility and more about whatthey doG try out the ten point plan next time you want topromote refinement (or the other two of the 3Rs)G use the AWERB to suppor t you and considerbecoming more involved – see reference 8G think about other ways of communicating andcreating a positive atmosphere, such as postersand newslettersG tell us what kind of training you would find helpful,with respect to the ‘soft skills’ listed above – youcan email research.animals@rspca.org.uk – andraise this at your establishment also, for examplevia the AWERB or the NTCO.ReferencesAll URLs last viewed 5 October 20161Hawkins, P., Armstrong, R., Boden, T., Garside, P.,Knight, K., Lilley, E., Seed, M., Wilkinson, M. andWilliams, R.O. (2015). Applying refinement to the use ofmice and rats in rheumatoid ar thritis research.Inflammopharmacology, 23: 131-150.2Halvorson, H.G. (2011). Explained: why we don’t likechange. The Huffington Post (US edition): tinyurl.com/zm3khhq3See the Nuffield Council on Bioethics work on the cultureof scientific research in the UK – nuffieldbioethics.org/project/research-culture/ has a useful summary of itsfindings.4Home Office. (2014). Guidance on the Operation of theAnimals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986. Her Majesty’sStationery Office, London.5RSPCA and LASA. (2015). Guiding Principles on GoodPractice for Animal Welfare and Ethical Review Bodies,3rd edn. tinyurl.com/RSPCA-LASA-AWERB6Hawkins, P. (2013). Discussion paper: Reducing severesuffering. Animal Technology and Welfare 12(2): 87-91.7LASA, LAVA and IAT. (2016). Guiding Principles for NamedTraining and Competency Officers (NTCO), NamedInformation Officers (NIO) and Home Office LiaisonContacts (HOLC) working under the Animals (ScientificProcedures) Act 1986. Download at: www.lasa.co.uk/publications/8Hawkins, P., Farmer, A.-M. and Woodley, S. (2015). Howto become involved with the Animal Welfare and EthicalReview Body (AWERB) – report of a workshop held at the2015 IAT Congress. Animal Technology and Welfare 14(3):165-169.9Lilley, E. and Jennings, M. (2013). Refinement – Lessonsfrom the 2012 Olympics. PiLAS August 2013: pilas.org.uk/refinement-lessons-from-the-2012-olympics/

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157December 2016 Animal Technology and WelfareInvestigation of transportation on ratacclimatisation using novel cage siderecording equipment (rodent Big Brother):a reviewDAVID SIMPSONManchester Metropolitan University, All Saints Building, All Saints, Manchester M15 6BHExtract from a MSc Animal behaviour dissertationAbstractIt has been realised over the last decade that improvedanimal welfare gives better results and morereproducible data from studies. The transportation ofanimals from supplier to experimental facility is one ofthe biggest stressors in the life of an animal, when theanimals arrive at the testing facility they are confrontedwith a novel environment which will sound and smellcompletely new; new caging, different food, possiblenew cage mates, assorted enrichment and differenthusbandry staff and husbandry methods. This is whyacclimatisation should be considered when designingan experiment.The per fect study design for an acclimatisationinvestigation would be to use the animal’s home cageto record behaviours with the cage mates present butwithout disturbing the animals, while still collectingenough data to investigate changes over a 7 dayperiod. Rodent Big Brother (RBB) is a novel systemwhich has a wide range of applications. RBB can beused to observe rat behaviours and cage position toinvestigate if behaviours can be used to determine aperiod of acclimatisation.Key words: Acclimatisation, Rodent Big Brother,transportation, welfare, Rat behaviour.IntroductionI have worked within an animal laboratory environmentfor the last 23 years and became a Home Officelicensee 21 years ago progressing to my current role asa senior scientist managing work with animals on adaily basis. Caring for animals and observing theirbehaviour has been a significant part of my life. Havingseen the developments within the industry over manyyears and being involved with introducing and validatingnew methods (Prior et al.,12015, Prior et al., 2012,2Redfern et al., 20053) means that animal welfare isobviously at the forefront of my mind. Individuals thatwork with laboratory animals see these improvementsas an essential part of their role and it is also part ofstandard licence conditions to use the most refinedmethods possible when planning a study. Regularmeetings, literature reviews, conferences anddiscussions ensure all ideas are captured. There areseveral societies for laboratory animal staff to meetand discuss their own developments and best practicein animal care with other companies and facilitieswithin the animal research industry. These includemeetings of the Institute of Animal Technology (IAT)including Congress, the Laboratory Animal ScienceAssociation (LASA) and American Association ofLaboratory Animal Science (AALAS). The main concernswhen working with animals are animal welfare, highstandards of science and the 3Rs (Reduction,Refinement and Replacement), often the three areinterlinked when working to best practices. Thereforewhen reviewing literature for this project, I believedthese to be the essential elements of this project to becovered.Animal research is a difficult subject to discuss and itbrings up strong views and emotions, for both thosewho support animal research, with Groups like Pro-test,and Seriously Ill for Medical Research (SIMR) andGroups against the use of animals, Fund for theReplacement of Animals in Medical Experiments(FRAME) and Animal Liberation Front (ALF). Researchshows that the majority of people (approximately twothirds of the United Kingdom population) feel thatanimal research for medical reasons is important(ipsos-mori.com, 2014) and with reduced pain andsuffering, is an acceptable method to help cure seriousillness.4The Royal Society for the Prevention of Crueltyto Animals (RSPCA) quote “Historically, animals havebeen used in a wide range of scientific researchactivities that have provided many benefits to society,particularly in relation to the advancement of scientific

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Investigation of transportation on rat acclimatisation using novel cage side recording equipment158knowledge, human and veterinary medicine, and thesafety of chemical products.”5Millions of animals are used in scientific research inthe United Kingdom every year. The Home Office statesthat in 2012,64.11 million scientific procedures werestarted in Great Britain, an increase of eight percent(+317,200 procedures) compared with 2011. Micebeing the most commonly used species accounting foraround three-quarters of procedures (74%) and rats(7%) accounted for the third largest amount behind fish(12%). The numbers of procedures for safety testing(toxicology) decreased by six per cent (-22,100) to377,000 in 2012. These animals are cared for bytrained, licensed staff, all of whom do their utmost tolook after these animals to minimise any pain orsuffering. All procedures are conducted in licensedestablishments, under specific project licences by staffthat hold Home Office licenses giving them permissionto perform the procedures.Animal welfareAnimal welfare has become the priority for allexperiments with animals. It has been realised over thelast decade that improved animal welfare gives betterresults and more reproducible data from studies. Thequality of life of an animal can affect its physiology andthereby, any research data. The improvements inanimal welfare in experiments var y from dosingmethods (Turner et al., 2012),7blood samplingtechniques, quantities and restraining methods (Prioret al., 2015,1Meijer et al., 2006,8Tabata et al.,1998),9to animal housing (Gonder and Laber, 2007,10Patterson-Kane et al., 2001,11Lyst et al., 2012),12including enrichment (Ditewig et al., 2014,13Dean,1999,14Franks et al., 2013,15Hanmer et al., 2010)16single housing (Abou-Ismail and Mahboub, 2011,17Boggiano et al., 2008,18Mering et al., 2001,19Brain,1975,20Greco et al., 1989),21food (Beale et al.,2011),22lighting (Hasegawa et al., 2000,23Castelhano-Carlos and Baumans, 2009),24temperature control(Gonder and Laber, 2007)9and husbandry (Smith andCorrow, 2005).25All these refinements will lead tobetter science. Townsend gives a description ofanimals as “An animal is a living sentient complexvariable and varying organism. An animal reflects everychange in its environment and management bymodification to its body chemistr y, behaviouralpatterns, physiological reactions or ability to combatinfection. Such modifications may well invalidate or atleast reflect on the reproducibility of animal tests”(Townsend, 1979).26Every animal is different and willcope with different environments and stressorsdifferently. Research has shown that data at thebehavioural, cellular, and biochemical levels can becompletely different depending on whether rats hadaccess to enrichments (such as toys to play with,tunnels to run through and things to climb). This canaffect things like gene expression, hormones and arecell-signalling molecules called cytokines (TheConversation, 2015).27The thousands of publicationsthat look at animal welfare and 3Rs (reduction,refinement and replacement) is staggering and a creditto the industries involved in animal experimentation.Again the literature on animal housing and husbandryis numerous and all help to alleviate stress andpromote good ethics and in turn better results (Everdset al., 2013,28Prager et al., 2011,29Abbott et al.,2006).30AcclimatisationThe transportation of animals from supplier toexperimental facility is one of the biggest stressors inthe life of an animal (Foster and Meyers, 1980,31Artset al., 2012,32Tuli et al., 1995,33Swallow et al.,2005,34Arts et al., 2008).35Transportation unavoidablycauses stress in animals (Arts et al., 2014,36Obernierand Baldwin, 2006).37Stresses can affect the outcomeof studies if acclimatisation isn’t considered (Abbott etal., 2006).30Animals are boxed in transportationcarriers for long periods of time, usually kept in thedark, affecting circadian rhythm (van der Meulen,2014).38In 2005 Jeremy Swallow from Pfizer globalresearch and development chaired a working groupestablished by Laboratory Animal Science Association(LASA). This working party consisted of members of theanimal science industry as well as the RSPCA, theDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs(DEFRA) and Animal suppliers/transporters. The groupproduced guidance on the transport of Laboratoryanimals (Swallow et al., 2005).34This is an essentialdocument that standardises the way animals aretransported in the UK. What is not clearly guided indocuments or by the Home Office is the period of timethese animals require to acclimatise to their newenvironment before data from the animals is collected.When the animals arrive at the testing facility they areconfronted with a novel environment (Golani et al.,1993,391993, Russell et al., 2010,40Eilam and Golani,1989,40Whishaw et al., 2006)42which will sound andsmell completely new; new caging, different food,possible new cage mates (Meerlo et al., 1997),43assorted enrichment and different husbandry staff andhusbandry methods. The effects from these stressorshave been studied to a limited extent and usingdifferent species methods including; blood samples forplasma corticosterone, telemetr y to measure heartrate and blood pressure (Arts et al., 2012,32Capdevilaet al., 2007a,44Stemkens-Sevens et al., 2009)45foodand water consumption, blood glucose (Van Ruiven etal., 1998),46body weight faecal corticosterone (Dahlinet al., 2009).46Results from these studies vary on howlong acclimatisation should be, but 3 to 4 days seemsto be a standard result. The facility where I amperforming this investigation acclimatise their animalsfor at least 7 days before starting scientific procedures

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Investigation of transportation on rat acclimatisation using novel cage side recording equipment159but may collect data 3 days before to get a base linefor food consumption or body weights.The per fect study design for an acclimatisationinvestigation would be to use the animal’s home cageto record behaviours, with the cage mates present butwithout disturbing the animals, while still collectingenough data to investigate changes over a 7 dayperiod. Collection would be non-invasive and withoutlicensed procedures. Various systems exist formeasuring basic ambulatory activity of single-housedrats (Van de Weerd et al., 2001b),48not behaviours.Generally in arenas outside the home cage (Gersner etal., 2005,49Anseloni et al., 199550and usually not forprolonged periods (Ross Ross, 2000,51Boucard et al.,2010)52and only during the light phase of the circadianrhythm, missing the most active period of a rats life.Rodent Big BrotherA challenge was set under the National Centre for theReplacement Refinement and Reduction of Animals inResearch (NC3Rs) CRACK IT53scheme to monitorambulatory activity, behaviours and body temperatureof individual rats continuously for up to 30 days, whengroup-housed in unmodified home cages, using non-invasive methods. This would allow monitoring within astandard regulator y toxicology study environment,remaining as non-obstructive as possible(https://www.crackit.org.uk/challenge-3-rodent-big-brother). The idea of Rodent Big Brother (RBB) wasborn. This novel system has a wide range ofapplications but for this project it will be used toobser ve rat behaviours, and cage position toinvestigate if these behaviours can be used todetermine a period of acclimatisation, after roadtransportation of animals to a new laboratory.Though still in the validation phase of RBB, I havedecided to use this equipment to run myacclimatisation investigation. This equipment is idealfor this investigation as the rats will be placed directlyin their home cage, with cage mates and with the useof LED lighting recordings will be 24hrs a day, seeingwhat happens when the technicians go home.This will be the first study carried out using thisequipment so unfortunately the automated behaviourrecognition will not be available and all myobser vations will have to be manually noted byobserving video recordings but this in turn will be ableto be used to validate/compare human recording to theautomated system, when the automated observation isfinally validated.The findings from this project will help with the qualityof science in the planning of future studies, improveanimal welfare and understanding of the behaviours oflaboratory rats arriving in a new environment. Thepotential for RBB will be unknown for several years butcould be one of the biggest changes working withlaboratory rodents over the last 20 years. RBB could beused, to investigate animal sudden deaths, byobserving video footage retrospectively. Other potentialuses are, studying drug dependency models and on awelfare side of things RBB could be used to investigateanimal socialisation, enrichment choice, breeding andso on. With additional development in this technology itcould soon be possible to have an alarm or email froma RBB computer to tell a researcher animals aresubdued or displaying abnormal behaviours, allowingimmediate action to be taken to alleviate any pain orsuffering. Being able to know how long it has beensince an animal has eaten by the press of a button.Rodent Big Brothers Little Brother (RBBLB) is also hoton the heels of RBB and will be used to observe mice.Circadian RhythmRats are nocturnal and follow a different circadianrhythm to humans. Circadian rhythm has beeninvestigated for several decades (Szafarczyk et al.,1980,54Challet et al., 1997,55Slotten et al., 2002a,56Szafarczyk et al., 1981,57Slotten et al., 2002b,58Challet et al., 1997,55Slotten et al., 1999,59Depres-Brummer et al., 1997,60Friedman and Walker, 1968,61Stupfel et al., 1973).62The majority of laboratoryexperiments take place during the day time, throughoutthe rat’s rest period. Therefore, by the time the ratsbecome active at dusk most laboratories will be closedfor the night and the rats are free to eat, drink, play anddo other rat activities without observation. This meansthe rats can show clinical signs/adverse reactions thatwill not be detected by any technical staff.ConclusionAfter performing this literature review I have decidedthis study will investigate the acclimatisation of ratsarriving at the facility and will use the behaviours of theanimals and position in cage to see if anacclimatisation period can be calculated without theuse of blood samples, heart rates or any otherscientific procedures that have been used in otherexperiments. This experiment also allows a vigorousvalidation of RBB. It will be the first study to use thissystem and will allow any trouble shooting and give anidea of how reliable the computer set up is. This willhelp the future validation and use of RBB. The rats forthis study will not have any procedures performed atthe facility. With a positive outcome of this experimentI would like to define a recommended acclimatisationperiod that can be utilised across laboratories and alsostart validating the RBB system therefore helpinganimal welfare, science and the 3Rs.References1Prior R.H., Marks, L., Grant, C. and South, M. (2015).Incorporation of capillary microsampling into whole bodyplethysmography and modified Irwin safety pharmacology

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Investigation of transportation on rat acclimatisation using novel cage side recording equipment160studies in rats. Regul Toxicol Pharmacol, 73, 19-26.2Prior, H., Ewart, L., Bright, J. and Valentin, J.P. (2012).Refinement of the charcoal meal study by reduction of thefasting period. Altern Lab Anim, 40, 99-107.3Redfern, W.S., Strang, I., Storey, S., Heys, C. et. al.(2005). Spectrum of effects detected in the rat functionalobservational battery following oral administration of non-CNS targeted compounds. J Pharmacol Toxicol Methods,52, 77-82.4https://www.ipsos-mori.com/Assets/Docs/Polls/sri_BISanimalresearch _TRENDrepor t.pdf (accessed20/7/15)5http://nuf fieldbioethics.org/wp-content/uploads/The-et hic s-o f-r e s ea r c h-i nvo lvi ng- ani mal s-c ons ens us-statement.pdf6https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/212610/spanimals12.pdf(Accessed 20/7/15)7Turner, P.V., Vaughn, E., Sunohara-Neilson, J., Ovari, J.and Leri, F. (2012). Oral gavage in rats: animal welfareevaluation. J Am Assoc Lab Anim Sci, 51, 25-30.8Meijer, M.K., Spruijt, B.M., Van Zutphen, L.F.M. andBaumans, V. (2006). Effect of restraint and injectionmethods on heart rate and body temperature in mice.Laboratory Animals, 40, 382-391.9Tabata, H., Kitamura, T. and Nagamatsu, N. (1998).Comparison of effects of restraint, cage transportation,anaesthesia and repeated bleeding on plasma glucoselevels between mice and rats. Laboratory Animals, 32,143-8.10Gonder, J.C. and Laber, K. (2007). A renewed look atlaboratory rodent housing and management. ILAR J, 48,29-36.11Patterson-Kane, E.G., Harper, D.N. and Hunt, M. (2001).The cage preferences of laboratory rats. LaboratoryAnimals, 35, 74-9.12Lyst, S.J., Davis, K., Gigg, J. and Hager, R. (2012).Effects of increased spatial complexity on behaviouraldevelopment and task per formance in Lister Hooded rats.PLoS One, 7, e47640.13Ditewig, A.C., Bratcher, N.A., Davila, D.R. et al. (2014).Enrichment with wood blocks does not affect toxicityassessment in an exploratory toxicology model usingSprague-Dawley rats. J Am Assoc Lab Anim Sci, 53, 246-60.14Dean, S.W. (1999). Environmental enrichment oflaboratory animals used in regulatory toxicology studies.Laboratory Animals, 33, 309-27.15Franks, B., Champagne, F.A. and Higgins, E.T. (2013).How enrichment affects exploration trade-offs in rats:implications for welfare and well-being. PLoS One, 8,e83578.16Hanmer, L.A., Riddell, P.M. and Williams, C.M. (2010).Using a runway paradigm to assess the relative strengthof rats’ motivations for enrichment objects. Behav ResMethods, 42, 517-24.17Abou-Ismail, U.A. and Mahboub, H.D. (2011). The effectsof enriching laboratory cages using various physicalstructures on multiple measures of welfare in singly-housed rats. Laboratory Animals, 45, 145-53.18Boggiano, M.M., Cavigelli, S.A., Dorsey, J.R., Kelley,C.E., Ragan, C.M. and Chandler-Laney, P.C. (2008).Effect of a cage divider permitting social stimuli on stressand food intake in rats. Physiol Behav, 95, 222-8.19Mering, S., Kaliste-Korhonen, E. and Nevalainen, T.(2001). Estimates of appropriate number of rats:interaction with housing environment. Laboratory Animals,35, 80-90.20Brain, P. (1975). What does individual housing mean to amouse? Life Sciences, 16, 187-200.21Greco, A.M., Gambardella, P., Sticchi, R., D’aponte, D.,Di Renzo, G. and De Franciscis, P. (1989). Effects ofindividual housing on circadian rhythms of adult rats.Physiol Behav, 45, 363-6.22Beale, K.E., Murphy, K.G., Harisson, E.K. et al. (2011).Accurate measurement of body weight and food intake inenvironmentally enriched male Wistar rats. Obesity (SilverSpring), 19, 1715-21.23Hasegawa, H., Yazawa, T., Tanaka, H., Yasumatsu, M.,Otokawa, M. and Aihara, Y. (2000). Effects of ambientlight on body temperature regulation in resting andexercising rats. Neuroscience Letters, 288, 17-20.24Castelhano-Carlos, M.J. and Baumans, V. (2009). Theimpact of light, noise, cage cleaning and in-housetransport on welfare and stress of laboratory rats.Laboratory Animals, 43, 311-27.25Smith, A.L. and Corrow, D.J. (2005). Modifications tohusbandry and housing conditions of laboratory rodentsfor improved well-being. ILAR J, 46, 140-726Townsend (1978). Proceedings of RSPCA Symposium,London.27http://theconversation.com/animal-research-var ying-standards-are-leading-to-bad-science-45246 (Assessed28/9/15)28Everds, N.E., Snyder, P.W., Bailey, K.L. et al. (2013),Interpreting Stress Responses during Routine ToxicityStudies: A Review of the Biology, Impact, andAssessment. Toxicologic Pathology, 41, 560-614.29Prager, E.M., Bergstrom, H.C., Grunberg, N.E. andJohnson, L.R. (2011). The importance of reportinghousing and husbandry in rat research. Frontiers inBehavioral Neuroscience, 5.30Abbott, C., Small, C., Sajeda, A. et al. (2006). Theimportance of acclimatisation and habituation toexperimental conditions when investigating the anorecticef fects of gastrointestinal hormones in the rat.International Journal of Obesity, 30, 288-292.31Foster, J.C. and Meyers, N.M. (1980). Regulator yconsiderations in the transpor tation of laborator yrodents. Lab Anim Sci, 30, 312-22.32Arts, J.W., Kramer, K., Arndt, S.S. and Ohl, F. (2012). Theimpact of transportation on physiological and behavioralparameters in Wistar rats: implications for acclimatizationperiods. ILAR J, 53, E82-98.33Tuli, J.S., Smith, J.A. and Morton, D.B. (1995). Stressmeasurements in mice after transportation. LaboratoryAnimals, 29, 132-8.34Swallow, J., Anderson, D., Buckwell A.C. et al. (2005).Guidance on the transpor t of laborator y animals.Laboratory Animals, 39, 1-39.35Arts, J., Ohl, F. and Kramer, K. (2008). Transportation asmajor life-event in rats: Effects on welfare and limits ofadaptation. Measuring Behavior 2008, 356.36Arts, J.W., Kramer, K., Arndt, S.S. and Ohl, F. (2014). Sexdifferences in physiological acclimatization after transferin Wistar rats. Animals, 4, 693-711.37Obernier, J.A. and Baldwin, R.L. (2006). Establishing anAppropriate Period of Acclimatization FollowingTransportation of Laboratory Animals. ILAR Journal, 47,364-369.

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Investigation of transportation on rat acclimatisation using novel cage side recording equipment16138Van der Meulen, A. (2014). The effects of switching light-dark regime on the behavior of Wistar rats. UtrechtUniversity Masters Thesis. http://dspace.library.uu.nl/handle/1874/289443.39Golani, I., Benjamini, Y. and Eilam, D. (1993). Stoppingbehavior: constraints on exploration in rats (Rattusnorvegicus). Behavioural Brain Research, 53, 21-33.40Russell, J.C., McMorland, A.J. and Mackay, J.W. (2010).Exploratory behaviour of colonizing rats in novelenvironments. Animal Behaviour, 79, 159-164.41Eilam, D. and Golani, I. (1989). Home base behavior ofrats (Rattus norvegicus) exploring a novel environment.Behavioural Brain Research, 34, 199-211.42Whishaw, I.Q., Gharbawie, O.A., Clark, B.J. andLehmann, H. (2006). The exploratory behavior of rats inan open environment optimizes security. BehaviouralBrain Research, 171, 230-239.43Meerlo, P., Van den Hoofdakker, R.H., Koolhaas, J.M.and Daan, S. (1997). Stress-induced changes in circadianrhythms of body temperature and activity in rats are notcaused by pacemaker changes. J Biol Rhythms, 12, 80-92.44Capdevila, S., Giral, M., de la Torre, J.R., Russell, R. andKramer, K. (2007a). Acclimatisation of rats after groundtranspor tation to a new animal facility. LaboratoryAnimals, 41, 255-261.45Stemkens-Sevens, S., Van Berkel, K., de Greeuw, I.,Snoeijer, B. and Kramer, K. (2009). The use ofradiotelemetry to assess the time needed to acclimatizeguineapigs following several hours of ground transport.Laboratory Animals, 43, 78-84.46Van Ruiven, R., Meijer, G., Wiersma, A., Baumans, V.,Van Zutphen L. and Ritskes-Hoitinga, J. (1998). Theinfluence of transportation stress on selected nutritionalparameters to establish the necessary minimum periodfor adaptation in rat feeding studies. Laboratory Animals,32, 446-456.47Dahlan, J., Lam, J., Hau, J., Astuti, P., Siswanto, H. andAbelson, K.S. (2009). Body weight and faecalcorticosterone metabolite excretion in male Sprague-Dawley rats following short transportation and transferfrom group-housing to single-housing. ScandinavianJournal of Laboratory Animal Sciences, 36, 205-213.48Van de Weerd, H.A., Bulthuis, R.J., Bergman, A.F. et al.(2001a). Validation of a new system for the automaticregistration of behaviour in mice and rats. BehavProcesses, 53, 11-20.49Gersner, R., Dar, D.E., Shabat-Simon, M. and Zangen, A.(2005). Behavioral analysis during the forced swimmingtest using a joystick device. J Neurosci Methods, 143,117-21.50Anseloni, V.Z., Motta, V., Lima, G. and Brandao, M.L.(1995). Behavioral and pharmacological validation of theelevated plus maze constructed with transparent walls.Braz J Med Biol Res, 28, 597-601.51Ross, J.F. (2000). ECOs, FOBs, and UFOs: making senseof obser vational data. Toxicol Pathol, 28, 132-6.52Boucrd, D.A., Betat, A.M., Forster, R., Simonnard, A. andFroget, G. (2010). Evaluation of neurotoxicity potential inrats: the functional observational battery. Curr ProtocPharmacol, Chapter 10, Unit 10 12.53(https://w ww.crackit.or g.uk/sites/defa ult/files/documents/CRACK_IT_Challenges/challenge%203%20surgery%20Rodent_Big_Brother_transcript.pdf) (Assessed20/8/1454Szafarczyk, A., Ixart, G., Malaval, F., Nouguier-Soule, J.and Assenmacher, I. (1980). [Correlation between thecircadian rhythms of plasma ACTH and corticosterone,and of motor activity, evolving freely after ocularenucleation in the rat]. C R Seances Acad Sci D, 290,587-92.55Challet, E., Jacob, N., Vuillez, P., Pevet, P. and Malan, A.(1997). Fos-like immunoreactivity in the circadian timingsystem of calorie-restricted rats fed at dawn: dailyrhythms and light pulse-induced changes. Brain Res, 770,228-36.56Slotten, H.A., Krekling, S., Sicard, B. and Pevet, P.(2002a). Daily infusion of melatonin entrains circadianactivity rhythms in the diurnal rodent Arvicanthis ansorgei.Behav Brain Res, 133, 11-9.57Szafarczyk, A., Ixart, G., Alonso, G., Malaval, F.,Nouguier-Soule, J. and Assenmacher, I. (1981). [Effectsof the destruction of the suprachiasmatic nuclei on thecircadian rhythms of ACTH corticosterone and the generalactivity of female rats exposed to a aperiodicenvironment]. C R Seances Soc Biol Fil, 175, 801-10.58Slotten, H.A., Pitrosky, B., Krekling, S. and Pevet, P.(2002b). Entrainment of circadian activity rhythms in ratsto melatonin administered at T cycles different from 24hours. Neurosignals, 11, 73-80.59Slotten, H.A., Pitrosky, B. and Pevet, P. (1999).Influence of the mode of daily melatonin administration onentrainment of rat circadian rhythms. J Biol Rhythms, 14,347-53.60Depres-Brummer, P., Bourin, P., Pages, N., Metzger, G.and Levi, F. (1997). Persistent T lymphocyte rhythmsdespite suppressed circadian clock outputs in rats. Am JPhysiol, 273, R1891-9.61Friedman, A.H. and Walker, C.A. (1968). Circadianrhythms in rat mid-brain and caudate nucleus biogenicamine levels. J Physiol, 197, 77-85.62Stupfel, M., Halberg, F., Halberg, E. and Lee, J.K. (1973).Computer-prepared displays of feeding-time and lightingeffects upon circadian rhythms in CO2emission by rats.Int J Chronobiol, 1, 203-21.Additional web siteshttps://www.aalas.org/ (Accessed 11/9/15)http://www.animalliberationfront.com/Philosophy/Animal%20Testing/AnimalTesting-index.htm (Accessed 1/9/15)(https://www.crackit.org.uk/sites/default/files/documents/CRACK_IT_Challenges/challenge%203%20surger y%20Rodent_Big_Brother_transcript.pdf) (Accessed 20/8/14http://www.frame.org.uk/ (Accessed 1/9/15)https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/212610/spanimals12.pdf(Accessed 20/7/15)www.iat.org.uk/ (Accessed 11/9/15)https://www.ipsos-mori.com/Assets/Docs/Polls/sri_BISanimalresearch_TRENDreport.pdf (accessed 20/7/15)www.lasa.co.uk/ (Assessed 11/9/15)http://www.pro-test.org.uk/ (Accessed 1/9/15)http://www.simr.org.uk/ (Accessed 1/9/15)http://theconversation.com/animal-research-var ying-standards-are-leading-to-bad-science-45246(Accessed 28/9/15)

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Paper Summary Translations165Untersuchung des Einflusses des Transports auf dieAkklimatisierung von Ratten mittels einesneuartigen Aufnahmegeräts neben dem Käfig(Rodent Big Brother): eine ErörterungDAVID SIMPSONManchester Metropolitan University, All Saints Building, All Saints, Manchester M15 6BH,GroßbritannienAuszug aus einer MSc-Dissertation über Tier verhaltenAbstractWährend des vergangenen Jahrzehnts hat sich die Erkenntnis durchgesetzt, dass sich die Optimierung des Tierwohlsin besseren Versuchsergebnissen und reproduzierbareren Studiendaten niederschlägt. Der Transport von Tieren vomLieferanten zur Versuchseinrichtung ist einer der größten Stressfaktoren im Leben eines Tieres. Bei Ankunft im Laborwerden die Tiere mit einer andersartigen Umgebung konfrontiert: vollkommen neue Geräusche und Gerüche, neueKäfige, anderes Futter, eventuell neue Käfigmitbewohner, verschiedenste Anreicherungsformen sowie andereTierpfleger und -methoden. Aus diesen Gründen empfiehlt sich, bei der Versuchsplanung eine Akklimatisierungsphasezu berücksichtigen.Das perfekte Studiendesign für eine Akklimatisierungs-Untersuchung würde den Einsatz des Heimkäfigs des Tieresunter Präsenz seiner Mitbewohner vorsehen, um die Verhaltensweisen zu erfassen. Ohne die Tiere zu stören, könntendennoch ausreichend Daten zur Untersuchung von Veränderungen über einen Zeitraum von 7 Tagen erhoben werden.Rodent Big Brother (RBB) ist ein neuartiges System mit einem breiten Einsatzspektrum. RBB kann zur Beobachtungvon Rattenverhalten und Käfigplatzierung dienen, um zu untersuchen, ob anhand von Verhaltensweisen einAkklimatisierungszeitraum festgelegt werden kann.Schlagwörter: Akklimatisierung, Rodent Big Brother, Transport, Tierwohl, Rattenverhalten.

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Paper Summary Translations168Enquête sur le transport des rats et analyse de leuracclimatation à l’aide de nouveaux équipementsd’enregistrement supplémentaires au sein descages (Rodent Big Brother): examenDAVID SIMPSONUniversité métropolitaine de Manchester, All Saints Building, All Saints, Manchester M15 6BHExtrait d’une thèse de Master recherche rédigée sur le thème des comportements animauxRésuméCes dix dernières années, on s’est aperçu qu’une amélioration du bien-être animal permet d’obtenir de meilleursrésultats et des données plus facilement reproductibles dans le cadre de différentes études. Le transport desanimaux depuis le fournisseur jusqu’aux installations expérimentales représente l’un des plus importants facteursde stress dans la vie des animaux puisqu’une fois arrivés au centre de recherche, ces derniers se retrouvent dansun tout nouvel environnement présentant des odeurs et des sons entièrement différents de ceux auxquels ils étaienthabitués : une nouvelle cage, une nourriture différente, éventuellement de nouveaux compagnons au sein des cages,ainsi qu’un nouvel enrichissement environnemental assorti à un nouveau personnel et à différentes méthodesd’élevage. C’est pourquoi il est important de prendre en compte l’acclimatation des animaux lors de la conceptiond’une expérience.Le plan d’étude parfait pour une enquête sur l’acclimatation des animaux consiste à utiliser la cage à laquelle esthabitué l’animal pour enregistrer les différents comportements, à maintenir la présence de ses compagnons (sanspour autant déranger les animaux) et à rassembler une quantité de données suffisante pour pouvoir étudier leschangements observés sur une période de 7 jours. Le nouveau système Rodent Big Brother (RBB) peut être utilisépour un nombre varié d’applications, notamment pour analyser le comportement des rats et la position des cagesafin de déterminer si ces comportements permettent de définir une période d’acclimatation.Mots-clés: Acclimatation, Rodent Big Brother, Transport, Bien-être, Comportement des rats.

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Paper Summary Translations171Investigación sobre la aclimatación de ratasdurante su transporte utilizando equipos degrabación nuevos situados en el lateral de la jaula(el Gran Hermano de los Roedores): AnálisisDAVID SIMPSONManchester Metropolitan University, All Saints Building, All Saints, Manchester M15 6BHExtracto de una tesina de máster sobre el comportamiento animalResumenEn la última década, ha quedado de manifiesto que una mejora del bienestar animal ofrece mejores resultados ydatos más reproducibles de los estudios. El transporte de animales del proveedor a los laboratorios de experimentoses uno de los mayores inductores de estrés en la vida de un animal. Cuando los animales llegan a los laboratoriosde pruebas se enfrentan a un entorno nuevo con un olor y un sonido completamente diferentes: nuevas jaulas,comida distinta, posiblemente nuevos compañeros de jaula, distintas actividades de enriquecimiento y distintopersonal y métodos de cría. Por estos motivos la aclimatación debería tenerse en cuenta a la hora de diseñar unexperimento.El diseño de un estudio perfecto para una investigación sobre la aclimatación debería contemplar la utilización de lajaula donde viven los animales para registrar comportamientos, con sus compañeros de jaula presentes, pero sinmolestarles, posibilitando la recogida de suficientes datos para investigar posibles cambios durante un periodo de7 días. El Gran Hermano de los Roedores (RBB, por sus siglas en inglés) es un innovador sistema que tiene unaamplia gama de aplicaciones. RBB puede utilizarse para observar comportamientos y posiciones de jaulas paraanalizar si los comportamientos son válidos para determinar un periodo de aclimatación.Palabras clave: Aclimatación, Gran Hermano de los Roedores, Transporte, Bienestar, comportamiento de Ratas.

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Paper Summary Translations174Analisi della valutazione dell’effetto del trasportosull’acclimatazione dei ratti mediante l’uso di unnuovo sistema di monitoraggio in gabbia (RodentBig Brother)DAVID SIMPSONManchester Metropolitan University, All Saints Building, All Saints, Manchester M15 6BH,Regno UnitoTesto estratto da una tesi sul comportamento animale per un MSC (laurea specialistica)AbstractNell’ultimo decennio si è notato che il potenziamento del benessere animale produce risultati migliori, oltre aconsentire una più alta riproducibilità dei dati degli studi. Il trasporto degli animali dal fornitore al centro sperimentaleè uno dei maggiori fattori di stress nella vita di un animale, in quanto, al loro arrivo nella struttura di ricerca, siritrovano di fronte a un ambiente nuovo, con suoni e odori completamenti nuovi: nuove gabbie, cibo diverso,compagni di gabbia possibilmente nuovi, un arricchimento assortito, nonché svariati responsabili e metodi diallevamento. Ciò spiega perché si dovrebbe prendere in considerazione l’acclimatazione durante l’ideazione di unesperimento.Il modello di studio ideale per la valutazione dell’acclimatazione vedrebbe l’uso della gabbia originale dell’animaleper il monitoraggio dei comportamenti, con la presenza di compagni di gabbia lasciati indisturbati, raccogliendocomunque dati sufficienti per rilevare i cambiamenti nell’arco di un periodo di 7 giorni. Rodent Big Brother (RBB) èun nuovo sistema che offre un’ampia gamma di applicazioni. RBB può servire a osservare i comportamenti dei rattie la posizione della gabbia per scoprire se i comportamenti possono aiutare a determinare un periodo diacclimatazione.Parole chiave: Acclimatazione, Rodent Big Brother, Trasporto, Benessere, Comportamento dei ratti.

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Tech-2-Tech178Cleaning chemicals routineG walls and floors etc., Sodium hypochlorite andVirusolveG neutralisation toxins – Virkon and heatG cage washer – Cachel – Neutral detergentG injection site – surgical spiritG personal Sanitisation – Spirigel – alcohol gel andLynx or similar!Barrier breakdownIn September 2015, a discussion was started aboutthe unexpected results and possible consequences ofa biosecurity breach in the laboratories.G one strain of sentinels had mouse parvo virusG confirmator y PCRG investigate possible anomaliesCoccidiosisCoccidia are a subclass of microscopic oligate single-celled intra-cellular parasites i.e. cannot reproduceoutside their host cell, meaning that the parasitesreproduction is entirely reliant on intracellularresources. Coccidian parasites infect the intestinaltracts of animals including, rabbits and Guinea Pigs.A sub-clinical infection previously known to be presentG never detected at screeningG began to see clinical manifestationG sent samples to screening laboratory G Coccidiosis detected 09 September 2015G Medicated dietrestriction on use of antibioticsCost of breakdown G financial costGG£80k lost revenueGG£35k returned to customerG reputationalGGbad – breakdown with no obvious sourceGGgood – seen as open and positive reactionG welfareGGdepopulationGGsupply not takenWaterG “Water does not really concern me”G water to animals is filteredG water for reagents bottledG water for cleaning has chemicals addedTHEN…G water sample for shower comes back withLegionella detectedG shower out of action for 4 weeks until cleaned upG caused problems for staff movementG now water does concern me!Remedial action G depopulation of mouse strainGGcostGGethicsG full clean downGGfilter changeGGphysical HVAC decontaminationG cage wash decontaminationGGchemical and heat G rationalisation on cleaning agentsGGhard surfaces i.e. walls, floors etc.GGSychem controlG neutralisation toxinsGGcypochlorite and heatGGcage washerGGSychemGGInjection siteGGSurgical spiritGGpersonal sanitisationGGSychem Control hand sanitizerGGSychem body washG environmental monitoringGGnot helpfulG screened mice from current stockGGall negative for MPVG cleaned againChanges to procedureG strains allocated to specific roomsGGstock and test always allocated to same roomG weekly to monthly to 3 monthly health screeningGGnow to 3 monthlyG rolling sentinel stockGGcomplicated to manageG archiving of faecal samples for investigationGGeven more complex than sentinel stock!G review of sanitation regimes is ongoingG you still need good processGGpreviously we are using hypochloriteFigure 2. Animal technician wearing standard PPE.

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Tech-2-Tech180Performing best practice every time is essential whencleaning and disinfecting your facility. Products will onlybe effective if they are used in the right situation andin the correct manner. Similarly, per forming cleaningand disinfection processes correctly can always beimproved by using the best product. Biosecurity is asstrong as the weakest link!It only requires one break in the chain to expose therisk!Once the risk occurs overcoming the issue becomes areaction that could affect your animal welfare, staffwelfare, finances and reputation.Managing environmental transmission pathways playsa key role in reducing your biosecurity risk.Solutions1. Training and Education– Understand why the transmission pathwayrepresents a risk.– Identify current processes and products used.– Consequences if things go wrong.2. Analyse current products– Are they the best available? – Do they do everything that I need them to do? – Are they being used in the right place?– Are they being used at the right time?– Are they being used by the right people? If not;Why not?3. Analyse current process – Can it be improved ?– Is it being adhered to?– Utilise hygiene monitoring to quantify effectiveness.– Doing what we’ve always done is not necessarilyright! References1Weinstein, R.A. (1991). Epidemiology and control ofnosocomial infections in adult intensive care units:Proceedings of the Third Decennial InternationalConference on Nosocomial Infections. The AmericanJournal of Medicine, Volume 91, Issue 3, Supplement 2,Pages S1-S333 2The World Health Report 2007 – A safer future: globalpublic health security in the 21st centur y. World HealthOrganization ISBN 978 92 4 156344 4 ISSN 1020-3311 G identify the risks associated with your currentprocesses and proceduresG suggest potential improvements that can be madeto reduce the risk (process, product)

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181AS-ET SPECIAL TRAVEL BURSARYESSAY ENTRIES Do present United Kingdom regulationscovering experiments using laboratoryanimals strike the right balance betweenthe interests of human health andlaboratory animal welfare?RACHEL BLACKBURN-STOUTMedical Research Council, 1 Houldsworth Terrace, Black Bear Lane, Newmarket, Suffolk CB8 0JXCorrespondence: rachelbs60@hotmail.comThis essay will discuss whether or not the UnitedKingdom’s regulations covering experiments usinglaborator y animals strike the right balance betweenhuman health and animal welfare. It will describesome of the regulations and legislation involved andhow this is beneficial for laboratory animals protectedunder these regulations.Animal research has been conducted for years but hasonly been allowed to continue in the United Kingdombecause the government have developed over manyyears animal protection laws and now have in placethe strictest regulations to ensure a practicalapproach is taken with animal welfare inconsideration; The Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act,1986 (ASPA) has the implementation of the 3Rs –Reduction, Replacement and Refinement at its core.1Facilities implementing the 3Rs combine animalwelfare with good science and ensuring best practicein the facility. In some cases the 3Rs will be usedtogether when finding alternatives rather than usinganimals in experiments. Dolan, (1999) states thatReduction means lowering the number of animalsused to obtain information, Replacement meansfinding other scientific methods to replace the use ofanimals.2Refinement means the development of waysto decrease the incidence of severity of inhumaneprocedures applied to those animals which are used inthe experiment.2Early legislation, The Cruelty to Animals Act, 1876stated that should the experiment occur, the animalmust be anaesthetised, used only once (though severalprocedures regarded as part of the same experimentwere permitted) and killed as soon as the study wasover.3Therefore this law was established to ensureanimals used in experiments do not have to go throughany more unnecessar y harm, pain, distress or sufferingso repeating experiments unnecessarily is not goodpractice or humane for the animals involved. The Animal Welfare Act, 2006 promotes the fivefreedoms which in detail provides the animals with theiressential needs and wants for survival;4 G the freedom to be housed in a suitable environmentG freedom from hunger and thirstG the freedom to exhibit normal behaviour patternsG the freedom to be housed with, or apart from, otheranimalsG the freedom to be protected from pain, suffering,injury and disease. With these five freedoms in place the staff caring forthe animals in research facilities can ensure that theanimals can receive the best care and the welfareshould be of a high standard not only to ensure theanimal’s wellbeing but to also help obtain the bestscience results from achieving this. December 2016 Animal Technology and Welfare

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AS-ET Special Travel Bursary Essay Entries182These regulations are in place for the research andtesting facilities to use as guidance for what they arepermitted to do when using animals for experimentalpurposes. Do these regulations work in the UnitedKingdom? Yes they do but Why? These regulations covering the experiments performedon laboratory animals give a structured guidance as towhat researchers can do to the animals but withobvious limitations. Only certain species can be usedfor experimental purposes and if there are alternativesthen researchers must use those alternatives wherethey can. The Home Office inspect the establishmentsto ensure there are no infringements of the regulationsin ASPA and or the conditions of the licenses issuedunder ASPA. The United Kingdom’s regulations coveringexperiments using laboratory animals are there toprotect the animals and to ensure there is nounnecessary pain, distress, suffering or lasting harmcaused to them. The UK has more animal legislationthan any other country so animal welfare standards arevery high in all establishments keeping, breeding andresearching on laboratory animals. The RSPCA, (2016) states that animal experiments areone of the traditional approaches to study how humanand animal bodies work (in health and illness) and fortesting medicines and chemicals.5Scientists who useanimals argue that there is currently no other way toachieve their scientific objectives and that any pain ordistress caused to the animals is outweighed by thepotential benefits of their research. It does depend onthe type of research that is to be performed on theanimals and also the species that will be used forthese experiments. Animal models are similar to humans and sosometimes the human being is not always the idealmodel for studying some aspects of human biology, thisthen makes the animal model the better choice to use.A major area for research is aimed at developing newvaccines and medicines for common and rare diseasesand illnesses that are becoming more widespreadevery day. This research cannot be carried out usingnon-animal methods. To improve human knowledge ofanatomy, physiology and how diseases work. The UK law that controls animal experiments issupposed to reflect the justification and necessity touse animals. It requires that the likely harms to theanimals are weighed against the potential benefits ofthe project, that there are no alternatives available,and that the numbers and suffering of animals areminimised (extracted from RSPCA, 2016).5Trying to determine the right balance between theinterests of human health and laborator y animalwelfare all depends on how beneficial these types ofexperiments will be. The use of animals in researchand testing is still a controversial topic. Can it bejustified to use animals for this purpose? In somecases, yes and in others no. The majority of humans doconsider themselves as being more superior than otherspecies of animals. Humans have always tried to findnew ways to survive in the world against every otherliving species on this planet. Legally drugs need to betested before being trialled on human beings, animaltesting has become a crucial part of science sohumans can expand their knowledge andunderstanding of how we function. If animalexperiments were to be stopped in the United Kingdomthis would be unethical as this would have a dramaticaf fect on those patients who need treatmentsdesperately. YG Topics, (2016) state that the UK hasgone further than any other country to implementthorough ethical frameworks when it comes to animalsin research.6With this in mind, as the UK has strictregulations that researchers have to follow, animalwelfare should not be taken for granted. There aresome negative points to using animals for experimentalpurposes; expense (housing, feeding and looking afterthe animals), wastage of animals that do not get usedor cannot be used for whatever reason (example; wronggenotype, age, wrong gender and excess so surplusanimals where they have been over bred). Time (thetime it takes to establish colonies). Unfortunately,experiments do take time to plan and obtain theanimals to use as well for these experiments. All thesepoints mentioned do give a balance to why in theinterests of human health we use animals forexperiments. Welfare standards and regulations arestrict and must be followed in the United Kingdomtherefore laboratory animals receive some of the bestwelfare care available. So yes, the present regulationscovering experiments using laboratory animals doeshave the right balance for the interests of human healthwhile still promoting good animal welfare within theindustry. References 1Home Office (2014). Guidance on the Operations of theAnimals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986.https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/291350/Guidance_on_the_Operation_of_ASPA.pdf (Accessed 10.06.16). 2Dolan, K. (1999). Ethics: Animals and Science. BlackwellScience Ltd. 3The Cruelty to Animals Act, 1876. Wikipedia (April,2016 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cruelty_to_Animals_Act_1876 (Accessed on 10.06.16). 4Animal Welfare Act (2006). The National Archives (2006)http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2006/45/section/9(Accessed 10.06.16). 5Royal Society of Protection of Animals (2016) Areanimal experiments necessary and can they be justified?http://www.rspca.org.uk/adviceandwelfare/laboratory/areanimalexperimentsnecessary (Accessed on 10.06.16).6YG Topics (2016) Should Animals be used in Research?http://www.yourgenome.org/debates/should-animals-be-used-in-research#q2 (Accessed 10.06.16).

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184Do present United Kingdom regulationscovering experiments using laboratoryanimals strike the right balance betweenthe interests of human health andlaboratory animal welfare?RACHAEL COOPERAgenda Life Sciences, PO Box 24, Hull, Yorkshire HU12 8YJCorrespondence: rachy_coop@hotmail.co.ukThere is no simple yes or no answer to whether theregulations have the right balance between goodwelfare versus human health; partly because people’sideas on good welfare can differ significantly. The United Kingdom has legislation that protects bothanimals and staff working within research facilities,these include:G The Protection of Animals Act, 1911G Animal (Scientific Procedures) Act, 1986 (ASPA)G Code of Practice (CoP) G Veterinary Surgeons Act, 1966G Animal Welfare Act, 1966G Health and Safety at Work Act, 1974G Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations,1992The Code of Practice (CoP) underpins the ASPAguidelines, so the Code of Practice is only guidance butif you do not abide by it you have to demonstrate whyyou have not. This may be due to a veterinaryintervention or a species specific need, for example ifyou had mole rats while they are rats they would betreated outside of the CoP but still covered by ASPA.The CoP underpins ASPA and is the foundation onwhich care and enrichment programmes are developed,more so now with the introduction of the EU Directivewhich gives more details for housing and care than theprevious CoP. While these legislations are in place thestaff caring for the animals should ensure that they arelooked after with compassion and empathy.The most important piece of legislation that covers thewelfare of the animals in laboratories would be Animals(Scientific Procedures) Act, 1986 (ASPA) this stemsfrom the Cruelty of Animals Act, 1876 and theProtection of Animals Act (1911) and focusesspecifically on animals in laboratories, ASPA coversmost aspects of animals housed and includesregulated procedures in laboratories. Each section ofASPA is concerned with a specific area of legislation onthe use of animals in research, these include:Personal and project licencesThe personal licence will cover staff per formingregulated procedures, it will also cover species that thetechnicians can perform procedures on. The project licence covers the experiment as a wholeand will also include the estimated severity of theexperiment. Most often these will be: Mild, Moderateand Severe. The project license holder should makeevery effort to keep the severity of the procedures to aminimum. If the project exceeds its severity it will be inbreach of the license and could therefore be subject toinvestigation by the Home Office. Designated establishmentsHaving a designated area for housing laborator yanimals ensures they are housed in an appropriatemacro environment. Before this piece of legislation waswritten animals could be housed in offices, whichwould also impact on the health of the staff, so havingdesignated areas also aligns with the Health andSafety at Work Act 1974. G licences and designation cer tificates: generalprovisionsG additional controlsG the inspectorate and the committeeG breeding or supply of the animals for research G appropriate methods of humane killingIn September 2010 the EU adopted DirectiveAnimal Technology and Welfare December 2016

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AS-ET Special Travel Bursar y Essay Entries1852010/63/EU which updates and replaces the 1986Directive 86/609/EEC on the protection of animalsused for scientific purposes. The aim of this newDirective is to strengthen the current legislation andimprove on the welfare of animals that will be used forresearch purposes as well as to firmly anchor theprinciple of the 3Rs, to Replace, Reduce and Refine theuse of animals, within EU legislation. The Directive2010/63/EU took full effect on 1 January 2013.The 3Rs are highlighted in ASPA and the Home OfficeCode of Practice, and facilities are actively encouragedto comply with the 3Rs where possible.The 3Rs are: – Reduce: Attempts should be made to reduce thenumber of animals used in experiments which willbe helped by refining the techniques used whenconducting experiments.– Refine: Techniques should be refined so that thenumber of animals can be reduced when conductingexperiments. This can also lead into animals beingreplaced from experiments.– Replace: Where possible a replacement for animalswithin experiments should be explored, this may notbe possible for all aspects of experimentation eventhough there have been significant improvements tofinding an alternative sometimes the only way to getfeasible results that will enable new treatments tobecome available will be to use animals to test ifthe treatment will aid in recovery.All facilities have a member of staff who is the NamedAnimal Care and Welfare (NACWO) and at least oneNamed Veterinary Surgeon (NVS); some facilities willwork with a conglomerate of NVS staff that will coverdifferent facilities. The NVS staff will be on 24 hour callshould any animal health issues arise out of normalworking hours. Facilities will also have a NamedTraining and Competency Officer (NTCO) who willensure all staff members are appropriately trained andcompetent to perform even the simplest tasks, whichagain will ensure the animals welfare is thought outbefore procedures are performed. Good husbandry and care of the animals is one of themost important factors for animal welfare. This willcome from having staff that have a genuine love ofanimals and wish to give them the best life possiblewhile in their care, however being an animal lover mayalso have its draw back as they want to give theanimals space and extras which would increase thepotential of harm to the staff, for example rat cagescannot be too heavy but bigger cages will be morecomplex, therefore there should be a good balance forthe staff to be able to provide the animals with the bestcare and caging to suit their needs but there shouldalso be equipment provided to aid staff in doing thiswhile keeping themselves safe and unharmed. This canbe in the form of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)or a step ladder to reach cages safely. For this staffshould be able to refer to the Health and Safety at WorkAct, 1974 as well as feel comfortable enough to speakwith the health and safety representative at their workshould they feel uncomfortable about any tasks thatthey feel may compromise their own safety vs. thewelfare of the animals within their care. There will also be a COSHH (Control of SubstancesHazardous to Health) rating included in theexperimental design that will include any suspectedside ef fects from coming into contact with thecompound. For example if the compound were to havesuspected side effects on embryonic forms femalesthat are pregnant or males of certain ages mayreconsider working with this compound and let otherscomplete the work who are less at risk of beingeffected by said side effects. Animals are used for a wide variety of medicines andother products for both human and animal subjects,however before animals are included in capacity studythere must be evidence that the researchers haveexplored all other options and there is no alternativebut to include animals, if this is found to be the casethere should also be equal justification in using thespecies selected for the experiment as well asevidence to support the fact that all options have beenconsidered and followed before the Project Licence isgranted to perform an experiment.Animals that are to be used for experimental reasonsshould be obtained from a designated breeding orsupply establishment these species include:G mouse G ratG guinea-pigG hamsterG rabbitG dogG catG non-human primateStaff involved in regulated procedures must also be inpossession of a Home Office Personal License andhave had training to ensure they are competent in theprocedures prior to them performing any procedures.ASPA states a regulated procedure as follows:“(1)Subject to the provision of this section, “aregulated procedure” for the purposes of this Actmeans any experimental or other scientific procedureapplied to a protected animal which may have theeffect of causing that animal pain, suffering, distressor lasting harm.” Where possible animals will be housed in social

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AS-ET Special Travel Bursary Essay Entries186groups, however exceptions will be made e.g. if theyare a solitary species then this will be how they arehoused, or if for experimental reason Project Licensestates that they should be singly housed. Before the EU guidelines female rabbits wereindividually housed, now this can only occur as part ofa regulated procedure, this would be if the researcherwould need to keep a food consumption record thenevery effort should be made to keep the animal ascomfortable and stress free as possible and possiblyhave more human interaction, this again would dependon the species, if the animals are better off having lesshuman interaction then increasing the interaction wouldonly cause them more stress on the proviso that it willnot affect the results of the experiment. Care is alsotaken to ensure that the environment is kept as stableas possible and the animals are provided withenrichment items so that they will exhibit naturalspecies specific behaviours, such as foraging for foodand nest making.This is where a balance would have to be thought ofand the question asked:If the interaction will not have any effect on the welfareof the animal but will impact negatively on the resultsof the experiment, would it really be worth putting theanimal through the stress of being housed alone andnot getting the desired outcome when the experimentcome to an end?Animal research is also of benefit for patients who mayreceive pioneering new medicines and treatments.There are however a few alternatives to the use ofanimals in research, these include:– In Vitro: A process performed or taking place in atest tube, culture dish, or elsewhere outside a livingorganism.– Ex Vitro: In science, ex vivo refers to experimentationor measurements performed in or on tissue from anorganism in an external environment with minimalalteration of natural conditions.– In Situ: In medical work In Situ describes work donein the structure of a patient.– In Silico: Is the direct use of computer simulation inthe diagnosis, treatment, or prevention of adisease. More specifically it is medicine that ischaracterised by modelling, simulation, andvisualisation of biological and medical processes incomputers with the goal of simulating real biologicalprocesses in a virtual environment.– Micro-organisms: Micro-organisms can beharnessed for uses such as creating steroids andtreating skin diseases– Human studies: To conduct research with humansubjects, you must be conducting research andobtaining information from human subjects.Before conducting human trials the treatments shouldpass all safety tests and have willing patients toparticipate in clinical trials. These will generally bepeople suffering from specific diseases or disordersand should vary in ages, sex and severity of thetargeted experiment. This will then give the treatmentsa good chance at working, during the experimentalprocess animals of both sexes may be used, if thetreatments will be used by both sexes, however sometreatments will be for a specific age or sex group, inwhich case if the new treatment is for a male humanthen more likely than not only male animals will beused. To conclude, I believe that the current balance betweenanimal welfare and human health is adequatelycovered on both sides of the legislation for both theanimals and the human staff involved in theexperimentation. There is a lot covering the welfare ofthe animals while in the care of the staff but equallythere is a lot covering the welfare of the staff as theycare for the animals.

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187IntroductionIn 2013, King’s College London (KCL) unveiled a state-of-the-art Zebrafish (Danio rerio) research facility, thelargest stand-alone system in Europe with the capacityto house 3500 tanks. In keeping with principles of the3Rs, KCL staff set out to reduce the overall number ofZebrafish required for effective research by improvingsur vival rates with lar val rearing. Through theapplication of modern aquaculture and husbandr ytechniques,1the focus turned to nutrition2in thenursery including: G live diets versus processed feeds G feeding regimes – frequency via automated feeder(Tritone by Tecniplast) and quantity G nutritional content Moving to the new Zebrafish Facility gave staff anexciting opportunity to review existing larval rearingprotocols and experiment with new ones. Changeswere trialled within the nursery that were designed toincrease survival rates of fry while also reducingtechnician workload. A comparison of larval feed andPOSTER PRESENTATIONSOriginally presented at:IAT Congress 2016Survival of the fittest: Zebrafish larvalnutrition*SANJAY JANI, THOM BERRIMAN, HANDE TUNBAK, RYAN CLARKE and BRUNO CORREIA DA SILVAKing’s College London, Zebrafish Facility, Biological Services Unit, School of BiomedicalSciences, Guys Campus, London SE1 1UL*Correspondence: sanjay.jani@kcl.ac.ukWinner of IAT Congress 2016 Best Poster Award sponsored by LBS (serving Biotechnology) LtdDecember 2016 Animal Technology and WelfareFigure 1. Brine shrimp (Artemia franciscana naupli)hatchery, harvested daily and fed to juvenile Zebrafish.

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Poster Presentations188maintenance regimes between 2012 and 2015 can beseen below:Figure 2. L-type saltwater rotifer (Brachionus plicatlis)culture, harvested daily and fed Rotigrow Plus. Life Stage 2012 2015FryJuvenileSub-adult1. Fr y entered the nursery at astocking density of 50 per tank.2. Fr y fed 3 x per day with a powdered dry diet, and once perday with paramecium.3. Debris removed daily.1. Fr y entered the nursery at a stockingdensity of 30 per tank.2. Fr y fed twice per day with L-type Marine Rotifiers enriched with Rotigrow Plus.3. No cleaning.1. Stocking density was reduced to25 per tank based on size.2. Juveniles fed 3 x per days withpowdered dry diet and 2 x perday with Brine Shrimp (Fig. 4).3. Tanks siphoned twice weekly.1. Stocking density was maintained at50 per tank.2. Juveniles fed 3 x per days withGemma Micro 150, and 2 x per daywith Ar temia.3. No cleaning.1. Stocking density was reduced to15 per tank.2. Sub-adults fed 3 x per day witha mixed dry diet, and 2 x perday with Brine Shrimp.3. Tanks siphoned weekly.1. Stocking density was maintained at50 per tank.2. Sub-adults fed 4 x per day withGemma Micro 300 and 2 x per daywith Brine Shrimp.3. No cleaning.Growth rate studySix 3.5-litre tanks were set up and filled with 400mlsystem water adjusted to a salinity of 2ppt. Into eachtank 50 wild-type Zebrafish fry (AB wild-type strain)were added that had randomly selected from over 50spawns. Feeding regime 5-12 days post-fertilisation (dpf): 3 randomly selected tanks were fed with dry diet(Gemma 75) 3 times per day. 3 randomly selectedtanks were fed twice per day with rotifers enriched withRotigrow Plus (Figure 3).3Figure 3. Rotifer culture fed to larval Zebrafish. Femaleeggsacks highlighted, with residual Rotigrow Plus.Figure 4. Artemia franciscana nauplii, fed to juvenileZebrafish and hatched over a 48 hour period.At 12dpf all six fr y tanks were moved onto systemwater flow with a steady drip. All tanks were then fedand maintained the same according to the 2015nursery protocol. At set intervals (5dpf, 11dpf, 21dpf,31dpf and 61dpf) 10 fry from each tank were randomlyselected to be anaesthetised and photographed. Theirlength (mm) measured using ImageJ software. At theconclusion of the study, the survival rate of each tankwas calculated. ResultsChanges to the larval rearing protocols at KCL havebrought about significant improvements in survivalduring the crucial early stages from 5dpf through tometamorphosis at approx. 21dpf. In Figure 5, it can beseen that the consistency of survival rates were alsogreatly improved. This enabled research staff to be

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Poster Presentations189confident of the number of adult fish they will receiveand consequently reduce the number of fry initiallyentering the nursery. In 2012, there was a limit restricting the number of fryper stock to 150. In 2015, due to the increase viability the averagenumber of fry per stock entering the nursery was 53,representing a reduction in animal use of two thirds. Ascan be seen in Figure 7, fish fed the rotifers duringlarval stages had a significantly increased growth ratesbetween 5 and 12dpf. This size difference wasmaintained throughout their development in thenursery, highlighting the importance of the early lifestage nutrition. A further advantage that came with thenew protocol was a noticeable reduction in husbandryworkload for staff, whilst enabling an approximately50% increase in nursery throughput of 23,104 fry in2012 to 34,510 fry in 2015. Figure 5. Nursery survival rates, calculated over a twoyear period.Figure 6. Growth rate comparison, examining larvaldevelopment using marine rotifers or dry diet.Figure 7. 5dpf fry introduced to a female rotifer.ConclusionAt KCL, we improved our nursery survival rates andachieved this through a combination of the use ofprocessed and live diets. By refining our feedingregimes we have managed to increase our larvalsurvival rates from an average of 70% to 90% since theintroduction of the new nursery protocol. This hasresulted in the reduction of the number of animals putinto the nurser y by research staff, in line with theprinciples of the 3Rs.This is part of a continuing programme of refinementsat the KCL Zebrafish Facility. Future projects we areplanning to investigate include: – The use of fresh water rotifers4as an alternative toArtemia and salt water rotifers. – Establishing a functioning fresh water rotiferprotocol with enough turnover with the aim toreplace all Artemia feeding to all fish in the facility. – Currently we are trialling a new Zebrafish specificprocessed diet that has recently come into themarket and hope to have results in the upcoming 3months.AcknowledgementsWe would like to thank Isma Ali at the KCL NikonImaging Centre for her assistance with our live imagingwork and Dr Andy Symonds, part of the MRCDevelopmental Neuroscience Division of KCL for hisassistance with the mounting and preparation ofsamples. We would also like to thank Ken Applebee forhis encouragement and support on this project, plusTecniplast UK and Skretting UK as suppliers.References1Wilson, C. (2012). Aspects of larval rearing. ILAR Journal,53(2), 169–178. org/10.1093/ilar.53.2.169 2Ulloa, P.E., Iturra, P., Neira, R. and Araneda, C. (2011).Zebrafish as a model organism for nutrition and growth:Towards comparative studies of nutritional genomicsapplied to aquacultured fishes. Reviews in Fish Biologyand Fisheries, 21(4), 649–666. http://doi.org/10.1007/s11160-011-9203-0

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December 2016 Animal Technology and Welfare191Assessing husbandry requirements ofZebrafish (Danio rerio) and Medaka(Oryzias latipes) using backgroundliterature and comparative information*SAMUEL BLACKLEDGE, NICOLA GOODWIN, BRADLEY CLARK, PAUL GREEN, CERI KOVACS, MICHAEL PRICE and PETER THOMPSONThe Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire CB10 1SA*Correspondence: sb47@sanger.ac.ukAbstract Zebrafish are the most common species of fish usedfor research in the UK. However, the species Medaka isestablishing itself as a complimentary species to theZebrafish. Despite having similar husbandr yrequirements and physiology, there are areas wheredevelopment differs. This requires a species specificregime to optimise growth, development and reliablyensure the welfare of the fish. The purpose of thisstudy was to compare how Medaka responded to ahusbandry regime used for Zebrafish so as to informand develop an optimal husbandry regime for Medaka.In this study Zebrafish were raised alongside Medakato track their development over three months. Someregime changes were made when necessary to ensurethe welfare of the fish. The study indicated that Medakahave the capacity to grow to maturity faster but requirea lower stocking density to do so.Background Zebrafish: A freshwater omnivorous and highly socialspecies. Commonly found in shallow and slow movingwater of temperatures between 14-33˚C. One of mostcommon research fish models. Close genetic homologyto humans. High reproductive rates and shor tgeneration time.Medaka: A fresh and brackish hardy omnivorousteleost fish. Can tolerate temperatures 4-40˚C. Theyhave a comparatively small genome to that of thezebrafish with a high number of gene orthologues withhumans. Medaka are highly tolerant of inbreedingmaking them useful for laboratory studies.BreedingZebrafish are placed in an appropriate sized breedingFigure 1. Zebrafish embryos.tank in equal gender ratio, they mate at the start of thelight period and fertilised embryos fall to the bottom ofthe tank.Medaka can be left inside a regular tank and will breedevery day at the start of the light period. Embryos canbe collected directly from the femaleEgg sortingViable embryos are sorted via a microscope and thenplaced in an incubator. In this study 92 embryos werecollected.Embryos clutches collected from the female areseparated from the strands holding them together andplaced in an incubator. In this study 69 embryos werecollected.Figure 2. Medakaembryos after beingremoved from attachmentfilaments.

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Poster Presentations192Embryo developmentZebrafish: 5 day incubation period followed by transferto a 1.1l tank. Held a density of 50 per tank feedingparamecia for a further 5 days, after which they areplaced on a dry feed with a slow drip water flow.Medaka: 12 day incubation period followed by transferto a 1.1l tank. Held at a density of 50 per tank and feda dry feed. They are immediately placed on a slow dripwater flow.Further developmentZebrafish: 4 days after transfer to a dry food diet theyare then able to feed on brine shrimp.Medaka: 24 hours after transfer to dry food diet theyare then fed brine shrimp.1 month after fertilisation the Zebrafish density isreduced from 50 fish/1.1l tank to 20 fish/3.5l tank. Due to rapid growth and development Medaka densityis reduced from 50 fish/1.1l tank to 20 fish/3.5l at 14days after addition of brine shrimp.Figure 3. Zebrafish pre-split down aged 4.5weeks (scale:mm).Figure 4. Medaka aged 3.5 weeks (scale:mm).At 2 months (8.5 weeks) post fertilisation, Zebrafishare placed onto a Juvenile diet for 1 month. Medaka are also moved onto a Juvenile diet at 8.5weeks.Reproduction 4 Zebrafish pairs were set up for breeding at the sameage as Medaka. 1 pair mated successfully suggestingthat not all of the fish were mature enough for mating.At 11 weeks Medaka females were found carryingviable embryos. Figure 5. Zebrafish aged 8.5 weeks.Figure 6. Medaka aged 8.5 weeks (scale:mm).Figure 7. Female Medaka with embr yos still attached.Figure 8a. Top: Male Zebrafish.Figure 8b. Bottom: Female Zebrafish.

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194Animal Technology and Welfare December 2016Enrichment equals behaviour managementJACQUELYN POTGIETERPublic Health England c/o Institute of Animal Technology, 5 South Parade, Summertown, Oxford OX2 7JLCorrespondence: jacquelyn.potgieter@phe.gov.ukIntroduction For good Non-Human Primate (NHP) models in researchwe need to manage their behaviour. Bad and negativebehaviour can damage the result. The technologist’sjob is to present the best model for the researches. Toimprove an animal model for research we must improveanimal welfare.2. Once the cages are in place there is normally oneside free to permit access. This is used to givefood and water, make obser vations, providetreatment, restraint for injection and to provideenrichment. Height and some angles of theenrichment are impor tant to avoid interferencewith the husbandr y. 3. Other considerations on enrichment causelimitations e.g. nothing inside the enclosure shouldbe larger or wider than the NHP, so that whenrestraining the NHP safety considerations aremaintained. 4. Placement of the device at human eye height willblock visual observation. Too low down and thedevice will quickly get covered in urine and faeces,dirty devices are less likely to be used.5. Limited floor space gives lack of foraging, NHP thatare weak due to the trial are less likely to climb tothe top to forage. 6. BIG has found that the small and thin enrichmentdevices that can be chained at optimum perch high,to one side of the cage are the most suitable. Thechallenge is to find a variety that is strong, durableand tough enough to last a trial.ResultsCounteract the negative environment with positivereinforcement.The psychological well-being of PHE NHPs is controlledby the animals’ living conditions.Today’s challenge is that the size of the enclosure isrestricted so enrichment needs to be maximum in theminimum form. Enrichment is not about the amount ofunused toys in the enclosure. Interest in Macaques isshort span. Rotation of the enrichment is a must(where possible) to maximise the enrichment value ofwhat we are offering. Novelty is a good stimulus. – The most suitable enrichment devices BIG cansafely use in the cat 3 suits are dog toys.– Super vision of the first time use of enrichment isnecessar y including observation for wear andbreakages. Chewed and ingested part of the device,may be a risk factor. We use different methods of enrichment-environmental, socialisation, positive reinforcementtraining, sensory. The combination of these, minimisesboredom and undesired behaviours.Opportunities to express species typical behaviour,curious, inquisitive, exploration and these animals loveto chew. Accommodating the NHP’s natural behaviourremoves behaviours like social anxiety and builds onthe relationships within their group making a happier,healthy NHP.Prevention of behaviour problems is easier thancorrection of behaviour issues. Enrichment Project considerations1. Must be incorporated into the housing we alreadyhave, the routine care (cleaning, feeding) and theprocedures the NHPs par ticipate in.

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196Animal Technology and Welfare December 2016Apprenticeship scheme for AnimalTechniciansBONNIE GLEN and RYAN CINIImperial College London, Central Biomedical Services, SAF Building, Exhibition Road, London SW7 2AZCorrespondence: w.steel@imperial.ac.ukThe application processLooking for the apprenticeship: A desire to work withanimals.How we found it: Government Apprenticeship Website. How we had to apply: Fill out a Question sheet aboutourselves. The interview process G phone call from the College Provider, CambridgeRegional College G invitation to an Open Day at Imperial CollegeG Open Day gave us a chance to ask questions aboutthe job G some of us were invited for another interview at theend of summerG the same day we received the good news that wehad been successful in getting the job Facts… G since 2010, there have been over 2 millionapprenticeships start in EnglandG apprenticeships are available in over 170 industriesincluding aerospace, fashion, broadcast media andfinance – with 1500 job roles availableG 90% of apprentices stay in employment afterfinishing their apprenticeship (includes 2% self-employed)G 71% of apprentices stay with the same employerG more than 850,000 people have been earning andlearning on an apprenticeship in 2013 to 2014G up to 25,000 apprenticeship vacancies availableonline at any one timeG there has never been a better time to employ anapprentice, or start an apprenticeshipRyan’s experienceWorking in South Kensington has been a great unit tostart in with both experimental work and breeding workhappening side by side. Working with the differentspecies has also been really helpful as it has allowedme to see the differences in their care and behaviour.I have enjoyed my time at South Kensington and I havehigh hopes for the other units. Bonnie’s experience I have found working in a breeding unit to be interestingas it is where everything star ts. This unit hadapproximately 4800 IVC cages and there are around500 different transgenic lines. I have enjoyed my timein H2, however I am looking forward to seeing andlearning new things e.g. the experimental aspect ofthings and working with different species.

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197Poster PresentationsCollege and apprenticeship work 1. As part of an apprenticeship scheme, our Level 2course provided by the IAT and by CambridgeRegional College, is a core aspect of our learningwhich consists of tests and assessments.2. The IAT Level 2 Course is something AnimalTechnicians are expected to undertake for theircareer development and knowledge. This fits in withthe Cambridge work when covering different aspectsof work such as team working and problem solving.Cambridge also want to ensure that we are bothworking and learning effectively which is why theyask us to document our work.3. These documents will help us to achieve LearningOutcomes set by the assessors and CambridgeCollege which link to the work we are doing. Forexample, a video clip of us cleaning out cages wouldhelp us to achieve outcomes surroundinghusbandry and checking animals. AcknowledgementsWe would like to thank Central Biomedical Services,Imperial College London for providing this opportunity. FUTURE HOPES– At the end of our placement at ImperialCollege we are hoping to have completed ourIAT Level 2 Qualification with good grades.We have received as much experience andguidance as possible and will hopefullybecome employed by Imperial College oranother establishment. – We have both enjoyed our experience so faras apprentice animal technicians and hopethat our journey remains the samethroughout. This has been a greatopportunity for us both as we want to fulfilour hopes of working within the animalscience industr y.

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198Animal Technology and Welfare December 2016The Laboratory of Molecular Biology,Named Persons and their responsibilities:what is a Named Person?LESLEY DRYNANMRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Francis Crick Avenue, Cambridge Biomedical Campus,Cambridge CB2 0QHCorrespondence: cperiment@mrc-lmb.cam.ac.ukWhat is a Named Person?The Laboratory of Molecular Biology (LMB) must satisfy a number of conditions laid down by the Government in theAnimals (Scientific Procedures) Act, 1986 (ASPA). The LMB has an Establishment Licence issued by the Secretary ofState which allows breeding of and the use of animals in regulated procedures.The Establishment Licence is held by the Establishment Licence Holder (ELH)/Named Compliance Officer (NCO). TheELH approves individual Named Persons to assist in ensuring compliance with ASPA. The Named Persons are responsible for overseeing the care, health and welfare of the animals, ensuring that all staffworking with animals are suitably trained and competent. They also ensure that both the LMB premises and staffremain compliant with Home Office regulation at all times. There are six different Named Persons roles. They interactwith each other, animal technicians and scientists on a daily basis to provide advice and facilitate animal researchin a compliant manner.The roles and responsibilities of the LMB named personsThe following diagram provides a colour coded key to a series of more in-depth posters describing the individualNamed Persons roles and responsibilities.Look for the Poster with the same background colour asthe individual Named Person.

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199Poster PresentationsDefinition of a Named Complance OfficerThe Laborator y of Molecular Biology (LMB) has an Establishment Licence, issued by the Secretary of State atthe Home Office which allows the breeding and use of animals in regulated procedures and covers workconducted in the LMB building. The Licence is held by the Establishment Licence Holder (ELH) who has theultimate legal responsibility for activities within the designated facilities. As is common practice, theEstablishment Licence Holder for the LMB also holds the role of Named Compliance Officer (NCO), who hasthe responsibility for ensuring that the requirements of ASPA and the conditions of the licence are compliedwith. All project licences covering work conducted by LMB scientists are held under the LMB EstablishmentLicence. Ares, the LMB’s animal facility on the Babraham Research Campus (BRC) is on a separate EstablishmentLicence held by the BRC Establishment Licence Holder. That individual therefore has formal responsibility andaccountability for what happens within Ares. In practice, while recognising the formal position of the ELH forBRC, the LMB Establishment Holder has day-to-day responsibility for ensuring compliance within Ares.The Laboratory of Molecular Biology,Named Persons and their responsibilities:The Establishment Licence Holder (ELH)and Named Compliance Officer (NCO)LESLEY DRYNANMRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Francis Crick Avenue, Cambridge Biomedical Campus,Cambridge CB2 0QHCorrespondence: cperiment@mrc-lmb.cam.ac.uk

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200Poster PresentationsNACWO are LEGALLY responsible for overseeing the day-to-day husbandry, care and welfare of the protectedanimals held at the Laboratory of Molecular Biology (LMB) and Ares.The LMB and ARES have 8 NACWOS:Vernon Smith – Senior Breeding ManagerRichard Berks – Ares Experimental Facility ManagerJames Cruickshank – Ares Quarantine Unit ManagerHelen Cooper – Breeding Facility Manager (blue side, Ares)Nicola Goodwin – Cambridge University Senior Aquatics Facility Manager (LMB)Carolyn Karam – Breeding Facility Manager (green side, Ares)Claire Knox – LMB Experimental/Holding ManagerWendy Turner – Neurobiology Experimental/Holding Manager (LMB)What your NACWO can do for you, your animals, your research and theLMB– Have a good knowledge of ASPA andthe husbandry and welfare needs ofthe species housed at the LMB/Ares.– Health check animals for export bothbetween Ares and LMB and to otherUK establishments.– Decide when animals have reachedtheir humane end point in conjunctionwith the Veterinarian and researchers.– Communicate with the scientific andhusbandry staff.– Proactively promote the 3Rs –(Replacement, Reduction &Refinement).– Act as a point of contact for advice on:G animal welfareG colony managementG experimental design– Act as a role model for those who care for, and work with, animals.The Laboratory of Molecular Biology,Named Persons and their responsibilities:The Named Animal Care and WelfareOfficer (NACWO)HELEN COOPER, CAROLYN KARAM and CLAIRE KNOXMRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Francis Crick Avenue, Cambridge Biomedical Campus,Cambridge CB2 0QHCorrespondence: cperiment@mrc-lmb.cam.ac.uk

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201Poster PresentationsThe Laboratory of Molecular Biology,Named Persons and their responsibilities:The role of the Named Training &Competency Officer (NTCO)DARREN EGANMRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Francis Crick Avenue, Cambridge Biomedical Campus,Cambridge CB2 0QHCorrespondence: cperiment@mrc-lmb.cam.ac.ukTraining TracksTraining Tracks– Ensuring that those dealing with animals areadequately educated, trained and superviseduntil they are competent and that appropriatefurther training continues.– Ensure that all individuals working withanimals participate in appropriate continuoustraining and that this is recorded.– Awareness of everyone planning to work with animals in LMB so that discussion of their trainingneeds can take place.– Ensure appropriate supervision is given to support formal training.– Ensure training records are maintained and competence assessed.– Advise individuals on the training they will need in order to be issued with a licence.– Ensure assessment of competence is conscientiously per formed and recorded.– Make sure that everyone dealing with animals is adequately educated and trained and that theyare supervised to ensure that competence is demonstrated and maintained.– Sign the declarations to confirm education, training, experience and character of applicants for alicence.– Be familiar with the species used, and types of research performed at the LMB. Be in a positionto recommend appropriate basic and continuous training courses and able to identify appropriatetrainers and assessors.– Be familiar with main provisions of ASPA.

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202Poster PresentationsThe Laboratory of Molecular Biology,Named Persons and their responsibilities:The Named Veterinary Surgeon (NVS)MARISA COETZEEMRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Francis Crick Avenue, Cambridge Biomedical Campus,Cambridge CB2 0QHCorrespondence: cperiment@mrc-lmb.cam.ac.ukThe Named Veterinary Surgeon (NVS) is responsible for – and monitors and provides advice on – the health,welfare and treatment of animals.The NVS should:G ensure that veterinary cover and services are availableG provide veterinary advice and treatment where needed and when requestedG advise on biosecurity issuesG member of the Animal Welfare and Ethical Review Body (AWERB)G comply with the requirements of the Veterinary Medicines RegulationsG advise on Reduction, Replacement and Refinement (3Rs)G be familiar with relevant methods of humane killing listed in ASPA Schedule 1, together with any additionalapproved methods specified on the establishment licenceG have a thorough knowledge of the husbandry, housing and welfare needs of the species kept at theirestablishment, including the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of disease; and the impact of housing andhusbandry systems on the welfare and needs of an animalG maintain animal health recordsAlso advise on:G breeding programmes, recognition of wellbeing andenvironmental enrichmentG the welfare of animals to be transported to another placeand provide any necessary certificationG the impact of procedures on animalsG recognising signs of pain, suffering, distress or lastingharmG general and experimental surgical techniques and post-operative careG the scientific use of controlled drugs, prescription-onlymedicines and other therapeutic substances used onanimalsG appropriate methods of general anaesthesia, analgesiaand euthanasiaG strategies for minimising the severity of protocols,including recognising and implementing suitable humanend-points and other refinements

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203Poster PresentationsThe Laboratory of Molecular Biology,Named Persons and their responsibilities:The Named Information Officer (NIO)THERESA LANGFORDMRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Francis Crick Avenue, Cambridge Biomedical Campus,Cambridge CB2 0QHCorrespondence: cperiment@mrc-lmb.cam.ac.ukThe Named Information Officer (NIO) ensures that everyone dealing with animals at the establishment hasaccess to the information they need about the species concerned as well as about Replacement, Reductionand Refinement (the 3Rs).The NIO helps researchers and animal-care staff keep up to date withtechnology and 3R developments and also updates the AWERB about in-house 3Rs activities.The NC3RS is a great source of information about the 3Rs – take a look yourselfOne of the more unusual requests made to the NIO was to source somepredatory Grasshopper mice from the Sonoran Desert in Arizona, USA.These mice were wild caught and imported via Envigo (formerly HarlanLaboratories) into the LMB animal facilities for studies into the neuralcontrol of the movement.Working with the University TechnicalCollege (UTC) students on their 6 week‘Design a Mouse House’ Challenge projectand Dr Gerr y Crossan talked about mice in his science, Organised Animal Facilitytours for 50 students!UAR – a great starting point foryour enquiries about animals inresearch and whyConcordat Outreach and Public Engagement in schoolsand colleges: in 2014 we undertook 6 varied talks andschool visits, this year it is 8 and counting…Newsletter introduced to bring a selection of activities to your attentionwww.understandinganimalresearch.org.uk

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204Poster PresentationsThe Laboratory of Molecular Biology,Named Persons and their responsibilities:The Home Office Liaison Officer (HOLO)TRACEY BUTCHERMRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Francis Crick Avenue, Cambridge Biomedical Campus,Cambridge CB2 0QHCorrespondence: cperiment@mrc-lmb.cam.ac.ukThe Named Veterinary Surgeon (NVS) is the primary Point of Contact for the Home Office concerning all mattersrelating to animal research at the Laboratory of Molecular Biology (LMB).Responsible for managing all Laboratory of Molecular Biology (LMB) licences involving the use of animals inresearch:Establishment Licence – Governs the building, rooms, species and the type of research that can be carried out.Project Licence – Each project describes the plan of work including how the animals are used.Personal Licence – provides authority for an individual to perform regulated procedures on animals (after beingtrained and assessed as competent).Ensures that the LMB licence database is kept up to date at all times.Secretary to the Animal Welfare and Ethical Review Board (AWERB),arranging meetings to discuss new LMB project licence applicationsand amendments to existing licences. Producing minutes of themeeting and displaying redacted minutes on the LMB intranet for allstaff to read.Figure 2. Members of the Animal Welfareand Ethical Review Board (AWERB).Figure 1. The Establishment Licence.Distributes Home Office correspondence related to ASPA to allNamed Persons and staff who are working with animals in theLMB to ensure the LMB is kept up to date.

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205December 2016 Animal Technology and WelfareNACWO Exchange ProgrammeJENNY PARKSBiomedical Research Facility, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Tremona Road,Southampton SO16 6YD*Correspondence: j.s.parks@soton.ac.ukAbstract Following the successful pilot study of the NamedAnimal Care and Welfare Officer (NACWO) exchangeprogramme, initiated in 2015 by the IAT, University ofSouthampton and Animal & Plant Health Agency, signedup in the first cohort of establishments joining theprogramme. Establishments were paired geographicallywhere possible so this was an obvious choice. The ideaof the programme is to give NACWOs experience ofanother establishment, to develop a NACWO networkand to share and later implement ideas and bestpractice particularly in the area of animal welfare.NACWOs also benefit by gaining relevant ContinuedProfessional Development (CPD) and added interest,while establishments potentially benefit frominnovation, new collaborations and staff development.In this exchange, we were lucky enough to have bothsufficient common species to suitably learn from andalso areas of difference to make an educational andmotivating experience. This poster explores theexchange, the benefits and elements to a successfulexchange.OrganisationG join the NACWO exchange programme by contactingco-ordinator at nacwoexchange@iat.org.ukG allocation of establishment for exchange andarrange visits taking into account barrier restrictionsG complete pre-visit checklists required by both hostestablishments (include maps, security, insurance,health matters, barrier restrictions, PPE)G NACWOs should list any specific topics fordiscussion in advance and allow time to discussG plan the day carefully to show as many areas ofinterest as possibleG NACWO visits take place G write visit reports and agree content with host G upload to IAT websiteG arrange at least one exchange per yearVisit to Animal & Plant HealthAgency, Weybridge, SurreyTwo NACWOs visited APHA and were given an extremelyinteresting and impressive tour of the extensive siteFigure 1. Aberdeen Angus cattle at APHA. which includes 3 farms and other satellite facilitiesaccommodating a range of animals great and small. Itis a multi-species disease and research establishmentmaintained under DEFRA control that identifies andcontrols both endemic, exotic, new and emergingdiseases in animals. It is also an internationalreference centre for Europe for many farm animaldiseases and monitors and controls notifiable diseaseoutbreaks in Great Britain. Research is conducted inareas such as bacterial, viral, prion and parasiticdiseases and vaccines such as Bovine Tuberculosis,Avian Influenza and Scrapie. APHA also protectsendangered wildlife by way of licensing and offers aplethora of ser vices not only to the veterinary andscientific community but also to industry and thepublic.Due to the nature of the work, staff must be able torespond very rapidly to new diseases and may berequired to prepare and adapt areas at short notice. Allareas comply with Good Laboratory Practice and stafffrom Southampton found it interesting to see thedifference in working practices. The facilities are well-managed and there are CCTVs in animal holding roomsso animals can be monitored closely. It was interestingfor NACWOs to see a functioning containment buildingas opposed to a containment area within a facility. Thebuilding is designed to minimise contamination risk andto reduce animal disturbance by being able to carry outroutine maintenance tasks from outside the barrier.

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on the various areas of research such as re-derivation,ageing mice, specific GA strains, and their phenotypes.Specialist research areas include neuro-science,respirator y medicine, or thopaedics, developmentalmedicine, nutrition, oncology so were quite different toAPHA research. In addition to the mice, rats, rabbitsand Xenopus frogs were seen. Specific Pathogen Freeand containment areas were not entered due to timeconstraints and barrier restrictions.NACWOs were also interested in discussing resources,Continued Professional Development (CPD)opportunities, databases, procurement and the role ofthe NACWO in the ethical review process. Poster Presentations206Innovative forms of environmental enrichment wereprovided for the various species with staff activelylooking for novel forms of enrichment. Staff havespecialist knowledge and expertise within their areas.Figure 2. Gloucestershire Old Spot piglets play footballat APHA.Particular topics for discussion were roles of NACWOsand the time they have to fulfil their role, thecomprehensive internal training programme,encouragement of CPD opportunities and training andcompetency records. Figure 3. Chick on a chick at APHA. Visit to University of SouthamptonThree NACWOs from APHA visited Southampton. Thevisit was co-ordinated by the Named Training andCompetency Officer as it involved three locations andtherefore different NACWOs who cannot move freelybetween sites due to barrier restrictions.Biomedical Research FacilityThis had common areas of interest and the tour of thefacility focussed on subjects such as welfare, breeding,genetically altered strains, environmental enrichment,housing, caging and areas of best practice. As researchdiffers from APHA, background information was givenFigure 4. Wistar rats at the University of Southampton.Ocean and Earth ScienceAquarium, National OceanographyCentreThe visit was arranged to show a completely differentarea of research and also to meet a NACWO with aspecialist knowledge of aquatics and therefore trainedFigure 5. Fish at Ocean and Earth Science Aquarium.Photo: Kirsty Bradley Photography

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Poster Presentations207via a different route. The visit proved to be of greatinterest and worth the trip to the water front campus.The aquarium houses a number of aquatic species andthe tour was accompanied by an animated commentaryby the NACWO.Figure 6. Lobster at Ocean and Earth ScienceAquarium. Photo: Kirsty Bradley PhotographyCancer Sciences UnitResearch is investigating how immunotherapy canenable the immune system to recognise and kill cancercells. This unit specialises in cancer immunologyresearch in mice and combines many specialistsworking as a team. The NACWO explained methods andmodels of tumour growth and how animals andprotocols are managed to maintain the best possiblelevel of animal welfare and refinement. The staff arespecialised in this area of research and have a greatdeal of experience in mouse cancer models.Visiting NACWO comments – ‘I cannot endorse the NACWO exchange programmeenough. The benefits are far broader than its briefimplies. Anyone lucky enough to be offered theprogramme, although it may seem daunting, shouldgrab the oppor tunity!’ Rachel Fitzearle, SeniorTechnical Manager, Centre for Biological Sciences,University of Southampton.– ‘A great oppor tunity to continue ProfessionalDevelopment and meet other NACWOs sharingvaluable knowledge and skills.’ Lesley Lawes,Deputy Manager Biomedical Research Facility,University of Southampton.– ‘An excellent initiative which I found personally ver ybeneficial as a NACWO and thoroughly enjoyable,meeting and sharing experiences with otherNACWOs.’ Rachel Baker, High ContainmentFacilities Manager, APHA.– As a NACWO I found the exchange programme ofgreat interest. It was nice to see how otherestablishments are managed and to have theopportunity to exchange environmental enrichmentideas for the species we work with.’ Janice Dent,Grange Poultry Manager, APHA.– ‘I found the NACWO exchange with Southampton Unian excellent experience, gaining an insight into theroles NACWOs play in other establishments quitedifferent than my own and how they carry out theirduties. It is also a great way to build up a networkof knowledge with other professionals in a similarcareer.’ Simon Watson, High Containment BuildingOfficer, APHA.Figure 7. Mouse house at University of Southampton.

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208Animal Technology and Welfare December 2016Introduction of a new training regimeSUZIE WILKINSONEnvigo, Shaw’s Farm, Station Road, Blackthorn, Bicester OX25 1TPCorrespondence: suzie.wilkinson@envigo.comAbstractThis poster is to illustrate the training programme hereat Envigo and highlights the changes we have madeand will continue to make. I work at the Blackthorn siteas a group leader in G Block and I am heavily involvedin the training within the barrier. This poster will showour improvements in the induction process for newstarters, how we have changed the training process forthe current staff and some of the ideas on how we cancontinue to progress.IntroductionEnvigoBased in Blackthorn we are a breeding and supplyingestablishment working within full barrier and isolatorfacilities. We offer multiple strains of different speciesof animals to customers such as universities, researchand government facilities. To coincide with changes to the law we are introducingan improved training programme. As part of thisimprovement we are introducing peer trainers that aresituated within each of the facilities on site to teachand help record the competence levels of ouremployees.Challenges– Working with large volumes of animals which allrequire high standards of welfare take priority. – Biosecurity regulations and movement restrictionsmean it is harder to move competent techniciansfrom one area to another to help with the training.– Groups of new starters all require the same level oftraining and attention in an already busy barrier.Positives– Further training for competent dedicated employeesto develop their skills. – Groups of new starters begin the process togetherso isn’t as intimidating. – High standards of training can be difficult to achievewith busy workloads but the benefits to trained andverified employees are huge. – All files used within the training programme areavailable and training records are kept up to datewhich provides evidence of competence. – Having a training regime with verifications cancreate healthy competition between employees.Developments– We have had some senior members of staff enrol inPreparing to Teach in the Lifelong Learning sectorcourse (PTLLS) to aid to our improvement of thetraining regime. – Those enrolled in the PTLLS tend to already have IATLevel 2 qualifications or currently studying toachieve it. Ability to train and knowledge of theindustry gives trainees best chance at progressingthrough to higher levels in training regime. – Future plans are to install the e-TRS system toconvert all paper records to an electronic form. – Programmed curriculum shows the order in whichthe work instructions should be taught by eachstage in the employee’s development. Demonstrations/workshopsPhotographs of inside the barrierIntroduced to point of contact withinthe barrierBarrier visit and interaction

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Poster Presentations209Conclusion– The idea of this training programme is to create acoherent, easy accessible and a motivationalsystem which is able to engage new starters fromthe moment they step on site. – It brings a bit of healthy competition into the barrierto see who can get to level 4 the quickest. As wellas competing with your fellow peers it keeps youmotivated to show improvement in yourself. We have now had several new starters come throughthe new training system and here are a few quotessupplied by them:“Coming into the barrier without an induction wouldprobably be too overwhelming for me. Having thatstarting point to learn what it is like was reallycomforting.”“Being able to read through the work instruction thenhave someone demonstrate it and stay with you makesthe learning process more practical and easier tounderstand.”“The whole process makes you build a goodrelationship with your trainer. You feel relaxed and ableto ask questions that may actually be a bit silly.”Guideline to their training programme(first 6 months)Indicates a time line for their trainingexpectationsRecord for training achievedTool for NTCO to monitor trainingElectronic version assisting withviewability across all barriersInstructions on a taskPicture orientated/less textWork instruction always available fortraining and referenceReviewed periodicallyPractical form of learningDesigned to be delivered orallyAssess both theor y and practical skillsEasy to access formatPaired with corresponding workinstruction and reviewedperiodically

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xSubjects considered for publication may include originalarticles, technical notes and reviews pertaining to allaspects of animal science and technology, managementand education. The Editorial Board wishes to offerparticular encouragement to papers leading toimprovements in environmental enrichment, the generalcare and welfare of the animals used, in particular thosespecies and strains exhibiting harmful genetic defects,and papers describing refinements in techniques, areduction in the number of animals that need to be usedor alternatives to animal use.Papers describing experimental procedures will only beaccepted for publication if authors clearly state that theprocedures conform to the prevailing principles andCodes of Practice of the Animals (Scientific Procedures)Act, 1986. Papers submitted from outside the U.K.,should state what legislation and/or ethical approvalthe work has been carried out under. In addition, authorswho describe surgical techniques with recovery shouldinclude details of post-operative care and any analgesictherapy provided. All submissions should follow theARRIVE (Animal Research: Reporting of In VivoExperiments) guidelines (Kilkenny C, Browne WJ, CuthillIC, Emerson M, Altman DG (2010) Improving BioscienceResearch Repor ting: The ARRIVE Guidelines forReporting Animal Research. PLOS Biol 8(6): e1000412.doi:10.1371/journal.pbio.1000412) The Editorial Board reserves the right to seekindependent advice on any aspect of the content of anarticle but the final decision on acceptance or rejectionremains with the Board.SubmissionMaterial submitted for publication will be consideredprovided that it is contributed exclusively to AnimalTechnology and becomes the property of the Institute ofAnimal Technology.Articles may be submitted either electronically or by hardcopy as follows:ElectronicArticles should be submitted in Word format with doublespacing to the lines and all pages serially numbered.Any photographs or graphs must be submitted asseparate files and conform to the format in point 4)below.The relevant ar ticle must clearly indicate wherephotographs and/or graphs are to be inserted.Address for submission: atw@iat.org.ukHard copyThe original manuscript plus two copies should be sentto the address below together with a copy on disk (CD orDVD).All sheets should be typewritten on one side in doublespacing and serially numbered.Any photographs or graphs should be supplied asoriginals and conform to the format in 4) below.Address for submission: Journal Editorial BoardChairman, 5 South Parade, Summertown, Oxford OX27JL.No responsibility will be accepted for loss or damage tosuch articles. Electronic files of submissions are required together withseparate files of photographs and any graphics thatappear in the manuscript. Electronic submissions shouldbe sent via email via atw.iat.org.ukalternatively,manuscript plus two copies may be sent as hard copy tothe address below. All sheets should be typewritten onone side in double spacing with 4 cm margins andserially numbered. Additionally, a copy on disk should beprovided or sent by email via atw@iat.org.ukArticles for submission should be sent to: JournalEditorial Board Chairman, 5 South Parade, Summertown,Oxford, OX2 7JL.No responsibility will be accepted for loss or damage tosuch articles.Format1). The first sheet of the article should contain thefollowing:i. the full title of the paperii. the initials and last name of the author(s)iii. the full address of the department(s) andinstitution(s) where the work was carried out.iv. the address for correspondence if different to above.2). For the remainder of the paper, the text should beclear and concise and, where appropriate, sub-dividedunder the following headings:i. Summaryii. Introductioniii. Methodsiv. Resultsv. Discussionvi. Acknowledgementsvii. References3). Measurements should be given in metric units – seeThe use of S.I. Units (1969) British Standards Institutionpublication and spelling should follow that of the OxfordInstructions to AuthorsDecember 2016 Animal Technology and Welfare

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xiEnglish Dictionary. Abbreviations must be defined in fullat their first appearance in the text. The 24 hour clockshould be used for times. Words to appear in italic typeshould be underlined. Designation of inbred strainsshould be in accordance with the International Index ofLaboratory Animals, 6th edition, compiled, edited andpublished by M.W. Festing, 1993.4). Photographs should have clear and well contrastedtone values and be in colour. All illustrations, charts (e.g.histograms and graphs) and photographs should besubmitted separately and bear on the reverse side theauthor’s name, a number corresponding to the order inwhich it appears in the text e.g., Figure 1, and an arrowpointing to the top.Illustrations, charts and photographs supplied on diskshould be in JPEG, TIFF or EPS formats and have aresolution of no less than 300dpi.The captions for illustrations, charts and photographsshould be typed in double spacing in numerical order ona separate sheet of paper.5). References: Only essential references should beincluded. Authors are responsible for verifying themagainst the original source material. ATW uses theVancouver referencing system: references should beidentified in the text by superscript Arabic numbers e.g. 12after any punctuation and numbered and listed atthe end of the paper in the order of when they are firstcited in the text. Automatic numbering should be avoided.References should include the names and initials of upto six authors. If there are more than six authors, only thefirst three should be named, followed by et al.Publications for which no author is apparent may beattributed to the organisation from which they originate.Simply omit the name of the author for anonymousjournal articles – avoid using ‘Anonymous’. References should be set out as follows:Journals:- Surname and initials of author(s) (date), title ofarticle. Name of journal in full, volume number, first andlast page numbers.e.g. Saigeman, S. (1998). Environmental enhancementof cats – what? why? how? Animal Technology, Vol 49,No.3, 145-154.Books:- Surname and initials of author(s) (date), title ofbook. Name of publisher, Town of publisher.e.g. Flecknell, P.A. (1987). Laborator y AnimalAnaesthesia. Academic Press, London.Chapter from a multi-author book:- Surname and initialsof chapter author(s) (date), title of chapter. In: title ofbook (surname and initials of book editors). Name ofpublisher, Town of publisher, first and last page numbersof chapter.e.g. Gregory, J.A. (1985). Principles of AnimalHusbandry. In: Laboratory Animals – An Introduction forExperimenters. Second Edition. (Tuffrey, A.A.). John Wiley& Sons Ltd., Chichester, 87-105.Papers accepted for publication but not yet publishedshould be included in the list of references followed by‘(in press)’. Papers in preparation, personalcommunications and unpublished observations shouldbe referred to as such in the text only. ContentPapers describing procedures involving the use ofanimals should always include full details of the animalsand husbandry conditions used. These would be asfollows:AnimalsSpeciesBreed or strainSexAge and weight at start of procedureGenetic status: inbred; outbred; hybrid; mutantSourceMicrobiological status: conventional; specifiedpathogen free (define which pathogens animals arefree from); gnotobiotic (define which micro-organismsare present)Quarantine or acclimatisation periodHusbandry during procedureType of housing: material; size; cage type if relevantNumber of animals per cage or unitBedding: type; quality; any pretreatmentType of system: conventional; barrier; ventilated rack;isolatorEnvironmental temperature (°C ± range)Relative Humidity (% ± range)Lighting: natural; artificial (state hours of light anddark)Ventilation: number of air changes per hourPeriod of acclimatisation before start of procedureFeed: type; composition; any pretreatment; amount;frequencyWater: type; quality; any pretreatment; amount;frequencyScientific procedureNumber of animals and any pretreatmentTime of day of procedure(s)Quantity and frequency of any samplesStatisticsTests used should be namedReprintsFree reprints are no longer provided but the ATW EditorialBoard are happy to provide PDF files of articles afterpublication. Use of these files is subject to Copyrightrestrictions. Instructions to Authors

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INDEX TO ADVERTISERSINDEX TO ADVERTISERS December 2016Allentown Inc ..................................................................................................................OBCBell Isolation Systems ........................................................................................................viiClinipath ............................................................................................................................xiiContec ................................................................................................................................ivCongress 2017 ..................................................................................................................xvDatesand ............................................................................................................................viEnvigo ..............................................................................................................................IFCInstitute of Animal Technology .......................................................................................xiii, xivIPS Product Supplies Ltd ..................................................................................................IBCLBS .....................................................................................................................................xPFI Systems .........................................................................................................................vSpecial Diets Services .......................................................................................................viiiTecniplast UK ......................................................................................................................ix