Dr. Vivian Kral and Dr. Christian Zoschke from Freie Universität Berlin receive prize for proof-of-concept course on brain organoids
Two researchers from Freie Universität Berlin have received the 2022 CAAT Humane Education Award. They received the prize based on their concept for an e-learning platform on alternatives to animal testing. Veterinarian Dr. Vivian Kral and pharmacist Dr. Christian Zoschke are developing ready-to-use courses featuring videos and 3D animations in the form of "3Rs Info Hub PRO," which builds upon the existing open access platform "3Rs Info Hub." The aim is to bring together presentations, videos, and podcasts on research methods in one, easily accessible place. The CAAT Humane Education Award is an annual prize granted by the Johns Hopkins Center for Alternatives to Animal Testing (CAAT). The prize money of 6,000 USD will allow the two researchers to create a package course on brain organoids."The course materials provided in ’3Rs Info Hub PRO’ will be created in close collaboration with experts in anatomy, pathophysiology, diagnostics, and clinical therapy," says Dr. Kral. These courses will provide teaching staff at universities and 3R centers with an interdisciplinary pool of multimedia, interactive teaching materials.
The abbreviation "3R" stands for "replace, reduce, refine." This refers to the three principles of humane biomedical research laid down by British researchers William Russel and Rex Burch in 1959: the number of experiments being carried out on animals should be reduced, replaced with an alternative, or the methods of the experiment refined in such a way to ensure that the animals suffer as little as possible.
