Animal Welfare Day at the DRFZ

Every mouse counts – with this in mind, we staged Animal Welfare Day at the DRFZ on October 9, 2025. The focus was on how we can offer our laboratory animals, the mice, the best possible animal welfare and at the same time further improve the quality of our research results.

We learned why before the experiment is as important as the experiment itself and how optimal husbandry – especially for older animals – plays a key role in maintaining their fitness and vitality. Working with geriatric animals is becoming increasingly important in science. After Animal Welfare Day, we now have a clearer understanding of the specific aspects that need to be taken into account here (refinement).

Another topic was the improvement of statistical variation in results, which can decrease the number of animals needed for experiments (reduction).

We also discussed how innovative models—such as 3D joints in cell culture—can replace the use of animals in the future (replacement).

A big thank you goes to our outstanding speakers, whose commitment contributed significantly to the success of Animal Welfare Day. Together, we are committed to further strengthening the protection of our laboratory animals.