Since 2024, the 3R Competence Network North Rhine-Westphalia has been collaborating with the MINT-EC-certified Gymnasium Fabritianum in Krefeld to inform students from grade 10 onward about the 3R principle (Replace, Reduce, Refine) and its importance in animal-based research. Another goal is to enable students to engage in open and direct dialogue with researchers, animal welfare officers, and other experts in the field.
The school’s renewed participation as a pilot school in our modular school program clearly demonstrates the strong mutual interest among students, teachers, school leadership, and researchers from the University of Bonn and the University Hospital Bonn. The project week highlighted both the added value and the need for close collaboration between schools and research institutions.
One Week – Many Perspectives: Introduction, Alternatives, and Reflection
The 3R Project Week at the beginning of February 2026 started with a well-grounded introduction and initial ethical considerations on the topic of animal experimentation. In interactive formats, participants discussed what constitutes an animal experiment, the applicable legal frameworks, potential burdens placed on animals, and how the 3R principle is implemented in practice within research.
During the following three days, participants gained practical insights into various areas of everyday research work. They learned about the zebrafish as a model organism for neurodegenerative diseases and performed injections of genetic material into fish eggs themselves. They practiced surgical suturing techniques on artificial skin models, explored laboratory animal surgery through virtual-reality training, and competed against a laboratory robot in isolating DNA from bacteria.
In addition, they examined neuromuscular organoid models used for space research under microgravity conditions, learned more about animal experiments in agricultural research, discussed the use of animal-free and non-animal methods in laboratory practice, and received direct insights into laboratory mouse housing and the daily work of an animal facility.
The fifth day focused on joint reflection. Building on their newly gained experiences, the students discussed research case studies that clearly demonstrated that ethical evaluation is not always straightforward.
A role-playing exercise simulating the application process for approval of an animal experiment in North Rhine-Westphalia illustrated how closely governmental oversight is conducted to ensure high animal welfare standards without compromising scientific quality. Finally, participants reflected on their personal perspectives on animal experimentation before and after the project week in the form of a “letter to themselves.”
The 3R Principles Are Put into Practice in Research
The intensive exchange between students and researchers enabled a nuanced view of modern biomedical research and demonstrated how scientific discovery, ethical responsibility, and animal welfare are considered together in everyday research practice. The participants summarized their impressions succinctly: “The 3Rs are not just a theoretical concept, but are actually lived out in everyday research.”
Motivated by this successful collaboration, another group of students from Gymnasium Fabritianum will participate in a 3R Discovery Day at the Aachen network site in mid-March.
We would like to sincerely thank all participants for their commitment, as well as the involved research groups and staff members.
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Visit to farm animal husbandry -
The suturing techniques were put to the test. -
Role-playing game for gaining approval for laboratory animal research -
Examination of zebrafish embryos -
Visit to the laboratory mouse facility
