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36 new SOPs

The implementation of the 3R principle is the declared aim of the 3R competence network NRW.

In the spirit of the 3R principle, the 36 standard operating procedures (SOPs) presented here were therefore formulated by the working group "SOPs in animal research" for the model organisms mouse and rat. The working group consists of animal welfare officers from institutions in North Rhine-Westphalia that conduct animal experiments, various representatives of the district regulatory authorities and representatives of the licensing authority in North Rhine-Westphalia (State Office for Nature, Environmental and Consumer Protection - LANUV).

The operating procedures serve as a guideline for applicants, animal welfare officers and representatives of the authorities for working in accordance with animal welfare requirements. They also serve to standardize currently applied and generally accepted procedures and thus to ensure quality. The operating procedures are intended for use in the context of applications for animal research projects.

There is no obligation to use them. But at the same time these SOPs do not release from the obligation to improve the methods used in animal experiments. When selecting the method, the 3R principle must always be observed and implemented.

Procedures are always performed according to Good Laboratory Practice and require stress-free performance. Potential complications as well as specific discontinuation criteria due to the respective interventions are to be named at the time of application and taken into account in the experiment-specific score sheet for the experimental project. The stress description and assessment of the respective intervention are not part of the present operating procedures.

The methods presented as SOP are divided into non-surgical and surgical interventions. A detailed list can be found in the following document:

Liste erstellte SOPs_Stand_14 04 2023

Disclaimer:

The use and application of the operating procedures is expressly at the own risk of the respective user(s).

Liability claims
against the 3R Competence Network NRW, the working group "SOPs in animal research" as well as the authors for material or non-material damages or accidents caused by the use or non-use of the operating procedures or by the incorrect use are in principle excluded. Claims for damages against the aforementioned are therefore excluded.

The operating procedures including all contents have been prepared with the utmost care and sources have been cited to the best of our knowledge and in good conscience. Nevertheless, the 3R Competence Network NRW, the working group "SOPs in animal research" and the authors do not assume any guarantee or liability for the topicality, correctness, completeness and quality of the information provided, nor for printing errors.

The 3R Competence Network NRW, the working group "SOPs in animal research" and the authors cannot accept any legal responsibility or liability in any form for incorrect information and any consequences arising from it.

Before implementing these SOPs in animal research, the preamble (in German) must be read:

Präambel_SOPs_im_Tierversuchsbereich_NRW

The following 36 SOPs (in German) are freely available:

Submission of new SOPs

The submission of further Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) in the field of animal research in NRW is welcome! If there is no suitable SOP for you among the published SOPs, you also have the possibility to submit additional own protocols for review to the working group "SOPs in the field of animal research".

SOPs can only be submitted for review using the template provided on the website of the 3R Competence Network NRW. For this purpose, the following documents are available for download (in German):

Anleitung Einreichung neuer SOPs

Vorlage SOP mit Hinweisen

Vorlage SOP als PDF

Vorlage SOP als Word-Dokument

The header is filled in by the working group "SOPs in the field of animal research". The already published SOPs are to be used as a guide (see above). The newly created SOP together with the contact address of the authoring person is to be submitted via the 3R Competence Network NRW via e-mail (3r-netzwerk-nrw@ukbonn.de).

The submitted SOP is checked for completeness and the relevance of the described method for animal experimental facilities in NRW is evaluated with regard to further processing. If the submitted SOP is relevant, it will be forwarded to the working group "SOPs in the field of animal research", where it will be reviewed and processed. If questions should arise at any time during the processing, the working group "SOPs in the field of animal research" will contact the SOP author. If applicable, it may also be necessary to be present at the meetings of the working group "SOPs in the field of animal research". The author will be informed about the result of the consultation of the working group "SOPs in the field of animal research".

NOTE: This is a complex coordination process, since the working group includes, among others, animal welfare officers of facilities in NRW that perform animal experiments, various representatives of the district regulatory authorities and the licensing authority in North Rhine-Westphalia. Among other duties, meeting dates have to be found for the coordination of several SOPs in which all stakeholders are represented. This basis-democratic process takes a lot of time. Therefore, the voting and publication of new SOPs can take six to twelve months.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the office of the 3R Competence Network NRW (3r-netzwerk-nrw@ukbonn.de).