FAQs on our animal experiments
Answers to the most important questions on the potential benefits for humans and potential harm to the animal and other pros and cons, authorisation procedures, and control mechanisms.
What conditions are the laboratory animals kept in?
A team of experienced veterinarians and animal keepers ensure that the animals receive professional medical care and accommodation.
The Max Planck Society, as well as the researchers, veterinarians, and animal keepers at our institutes in Tübingen, take responsibility for ensuring the proper implementation of animal experiments and the provision of species-appropriate housing of laboratory animals very seriously. This is crucial, as meaningful scientific findings can only be obtained from healthy and stress-free animals.
Do the animal experiments at the Max Planck Institute of Biology have a direct benefit?
The Max Planck Society, including the Friedrich Miescher Laboratory, is dedicated to fundamental research. This means our researchers are not directly seeking new therapeutic approaches. Instead, they strive to continually expand our understanding of the complex processes of life. For example, our scientists investigate crucial developmental processes in organisms, the fundamental mechanisms driving evolution, and how new characteristics, species, and biodiversity arise. Our institute also focuses on the impact of changing environmental factors and interspecies interactions. Knowledge about how living organisms function is essential for addressing challenges like climate change, global food security, and developing treatments for metabolic diseases or cancer. You can learn more about specific research objectives here.
Can't animal experiments be replaced?
While many biomedical processes can be initially studied without animal experiments using cell cultures or computer models, the Max Planck Society is committed to promoting alternatives. Researchers are developing methods like artificial tissues and organs. However, experiments with living organisms are crucial for evaluating results from culture dishes and computers within a whole organism context. Complex interactions occur within tissues, organs, and entire bodies that cannot be fully replicated in vitro.
Are results from animal experiments at all meaningful for humans?
Critics of animal research argue that differences between mice, rats, monkeys, and humans invalidate results. However, humans share a common evolutionary history with these animals. Notably, 95% of mouse genes have human counterparts, and even fruit flies share 60%. Animal experiments provide insights into fundamental cellular processes like communication, gene activation, and signalling, which are often conserved across species. This basic knowledge is essential for biomedical research.
How does the authorisation procedure for animal experiments work?
Germany and many countries have strict regulations to minimize animal testing. The German Animal Welfare Act and Animal Welfare Experimental Animals Ordinance, implementing the EU Animal Experiments Directive (2010/63/EU), govern animal experiments. These laws define animal experiments and outline strict conditions for their conduct. Researchers require authorization from competent authorities for vertebrate experiments. Applications must include a scientific justification for using laboratory animals.
What control mechanisms are in place?
Animal experiments undergo rigorous internal and external controls as mandated by the Animal Welfare Act, Experimental Animal Welfare Ordinance, and EU Directive 2010/63/EU. Experiments are only permitted when essential and without suitable alternatives. The authorization process involves independent committees with veterinarians, doctors, researchers, and animal welfare organization representatives. Authorities have ongoing access to facilities, and internal monitoring includes animal welfare officers.