3R-Center Tübingen for In Vitro Models and Animal Testing Alternatives

Prof. Dr. Peter Loskill
Group Leader Organ-on-Chip

"With our 3R Center, we want to work closely with the decision makers of regulatory authorities and policy makers as well as the potential users of these replacement and alternative methods. Our goal is to enable researchers in Baden-Württemberg to answer their scientific questions using modern and complex in vitro models without having to resort to the use of animals."

Prof. Dr. Peter Loskill

3R - Replacement, Reduction & Refinement of animal experiments

The objectives of replacing animal experiments wherever possible with suitable alternative or supplementary methods (replacement), minimizing their number and the animals used in them to an unavoidable level (reduction) and limiting the stress (suffering, pain, stress) of the animals in these experiments to the indispensable level (refinement) are the main efforts of the 3R principle according to William Russel and Rex Burch (1959).

Our structure & activities

In the focus area Replace, we are involved in the 3R-Center Tübingen in the three areas "Education, Continuing Education & Training", "Research" and "Public Relations".

We are actively committed to providing researchers in Baden-Württemberg with low-threshold access to modern in vitro methods such as organ-on-chip systems as human-relevant replacement and supplementary methods to animal experiments. We educate our target groups (e.g. scientists, clinicians, doctoral students, students, pupils, politicians, industry representatives, representatives of the press and interested members of the public) adequately and purposefully.

As part of the 3R-Network Baden-Württemberg, which is funded by the Ministry of Science, Research and the Arts (MKW) Baden-Württemberg, our 3R-Center Tübingen is jointly supported by the Medical Faculty of the Eberhard Karls University Tübingen and the NMI Natural and Medical Sciences Institute at the University of Tübingen in Reutlingen since its foundation in 2020.

For more information about our work, the monthly #Talking3RScience Webinar and all events offered, please visit the Website of 3R-Centers, Twitter-Channel or LinkedIn-Profile.