Do you work on animals, dead or alive?

Question: Do you work on animals, dead or alive?

Asked by crowntown100 to Andrew, Emma, Marianne on 15 Jun 2010 in Categories: Your Research. This question was also asked by sparkycvf, omegaginge, cheesyscience, aliciarioswilks.
- Andrew Maynard answered on 14 Jun 2010:
  
  Hi crowntown100,
  
  I don’t work directly on animals (alive or dead), but I work with plenty of people who do. I was just explaining to another student that this is a tough issue and I often feel uneasy about using animals for research, but sometimes it’s necessary if we are to prevent people from being harmed.
- Marianne Baker answered on 14 Jun 2010:
  
  Hi crowntown100,
  
  We do work on animals, yes – mice, in our group.
  
  The mice are bred at special facilities where highly-trained staff (including vets) look after them daily. They must have their cages cleaned regularly, food and water always available, the light, humidity and temperature of their rooms has to be carefully regulated and also noise levels.
  
  Because we work on cancer and, specifically, blood vessel growth (which is something we don’t really understand fully yet), we need a whole-organism system to study it in. We’re not just interested in what goes on inside cells (in which case we could get away with using cells in the lab by themselves) but how different cells interact with each other – that involves blood, immune systems, interacting organs – all kinds of stuff we a) don’t completely understand and b) can’t model on computers (yet).
  
  Our institute is headed by an ex-veterinary scientist, who really makes sure (as well as government guidelines that exist) all our experiments are necessary and do not cause unnecessary suffering. We will always end experiments at times that ensure minimal suffering and if any mice are sick they are removed from the colony, checked by the vet, helped if they can be or humanely euthanised if necessary (like we’ve had to do in our family for some of our pets in the past, and it is always sad).
  
  What is important to realise is that scientists aren’t heartless people (as I hope everyone will notice over the course of this programme) and more often than not we’re in science *because* of our respect for life. That includes other animals.
  
  I don’t *like* working with the mice and will be happy when our technology has advanced so much that we no longer need them, but right now it’s not there yet. I just know that, when faced with loved ones dying (which, in fact, I am but I won’t get into it now) I could not turn away from them to save some cages of lab animals and I think most people, if they were given such a choice, would do the same.
- anon answered on 14 Jun 2010:
  
  Scientists often do work on animals dead and alive. I am in favour of this work as I think it often leads to really impressive science that has real benefits for society at large. Thankfully this work happens under really tight rules and regulations (in this country) so that everything has to be justified and explained. It would be impossible to get away with pure cruelty.
- Emma Pilgrim answered on 14 Jun 2010:
  
  Hi I work on plants mainly. As I work on an agricultural research station some of the work I have done before has been looking at whether changing the number of times and the length of time that cattle graze grassland can influence the range of insects, plants and birds that you find on farmland.
- anon answered on 15 Jun 2010:
  
  Hi crowntown100. No I don’t work on animals…we do have the odd grazing cattle and goats to keep the grass and weeds down so that we can promote the right types of plants to grow to attract butterflies, birds and bats, but we have local environmental protection officers that manage them:).

Question: Do you work on animals, dead or alive?

Comments