Why are we using animals in our research?
Research with fruit flies
Luisa Pallares, leader of Evolutionary Genomics of Complex Traits Research Group is primarily interested in the robustness of complex traits.
The Research Group uses the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster as a model system. The 3 mm long fly typically gathers around rotten fruit and is one of the most often used animals in scientific experiments.
Fruit flies proliferate swiftly and are simple to raise. The Research Group investigates fundamental biological principles with these comparatively simple insects, which can take the place of more highly organised creatures like vertebrates in our experiments.
The Evolutionary Genomics of Compley Traits Research Group uses fruit flies to understand phenotypic variation within populations. That is, why do individuals of the same population look different? How is such phenotypic robustness regulated? How much of that is genetic? How does robustness in certain phenotypes constraints variability in others? How does robustness evolves given certain environmental perturbations? Why are some individuals more resistant to perturbations than others? To answer these questions, the research group address the effect that genetics, environment, and their interaction have on phenotypic variation.
Research with frogs and mice
Can Aztekin, leader of the Structural Regeneration Research Group is primarily interested in regeneration of limbs across species.
Commitment to the 4Rs in Regenerative Research
The lab is proud to contribute to the principles of the 4Rs by approaching regenerative biology through two specific, ethically informed strategies:
- Refinement through Ex Vivo Platforms: We develop and utilize ex vivo systems (tissues grown outside of the animal body) to study regeneration in Xenopus laevis tadpoles and embryonic mouse limbs. These platforms allow us to investigate key biological processes without subjecting live animals to potentially painful procedures such as amputations, thereby significantly refining our experimental approach.
- Replacement with Stem Cell-Derived Models: We are actively developing and applying regeneration models using mouse and human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)-derived cell types, including limb bud organoids. These models offer powerful alternatives to in vivo animal studies, contributing to the replacement of animals in early-stage research while advancing our understanding of complex developmental processes.
Through these efforts, the lab not only advances the science of regeneration but also upholds a strong ethical framework by integrating the 4Rs into our research design.