The implementation of tunnel handling in a mouse breeding facility revealed strain-specific behavioural responses.

As a step towards implementing non-aversive handling techniques at a big mouse breeding facility in Germany, tunnel handling was introduced in a breeding unit comprising three inbred mouse strains. To assess whether tunnel handling would be feasible for the animal technicians in their everyday work and beneficial for the mice when being handled during weekly cage change only, the behaviour of tunnel- and tail-handled animals of both sexes was examined before, during and after the handling events over a period of nine weeks. Moreover, the time expenditure was compared between both handling techniques. It was possible to use the tunnel in all three mouse strains. However, the impact of the handling techniques on the behavioural parameters investigated in the present study were strain-specific. All behavioural parameters suggested that NZW mice benefited the most from tunnel handling. The results obtained from Hello Kitty and WNK mice were ambiguous, which may suggest that a brief handling session during the cage clean may have not been sufficient to habituate them to the process of handling. It took the animal technicians approximately 3 seconds longer per mouse when using a tunnel. The strain-specific results should encourage researchers to share their experiences with non-aversive handling techniques in different mouse strains, for example, along with their research articles.

Nomenclature for standardized designation of diploid genotypes in genetically modified laboratory animals.

Information about the diploid genotype of a gene-modified or mutant laboratory animal is essential for breeding and experimental planning. It is also required for the exchange of animals between different research groups or for communication with professional genotyping service providers. While there are detailed, standardized rules for creating an allele name of a genome modification or mutation, the notation of the diploid genotype after biopsy and genotyping has not been standardized yet. Therefore, a uniform, generally understandable nomenclature for the diploid genotype of gene-modified laboratory animals is needed. With the here-proposed nomenclature recommendations from the Committee on Genetics and Breeding of Laboratory Animals of the German Society for Laboratory Animal Science (GV-SOLAS), we provide a practical, standardized representation of the genotype of gene-modified animals. It is intended to serve as a compact guide for animal care and scientific personnel in animal research facilities and to simplify data exchange between groups and with external service providers.

The Interactive Stress Assessment in Basic Animal Science Training.

In order to assess the extent to which the legally prescribed training for the acquisition of animal experimentation expertise provides scientific personnel with the necessary competence and expertise to carry out a correct harm-benefit analysis in the context of animal experimentation applications, we conducted an interactive stress assessment concerning the basic animal experimentation expertise course. First, before the practical part of the course and then, after the practical part, the participants assessed images and video material of healthy and stressed animals. The results were assessed comparatively and showed a significant increase in performance in all categories (p-value < 0.001). In addition, the results were comparatively assessed against those of scientists already experienced in animal experiments and experienced animal caretakers in research and clinics. In all groups, the vast majority of participants were able to recognise stress in laboratory animals. A significant proportion of the participants were also able to rate the level of stress correctly according to three degrees of severity: mild, moderate and severe. Nevertheless, a small number of participants were unable to distinguish between healthy and stressed animals and thus, the stress in the individual groups was assigned very differently from the different degrees of severity. The results of this study illustrate, on the one hand, the high significance that training must have in order to acquire the expertise, and, on the other hand, how strongly the assessment of stress is influenced by subjectivity.