Newsletter IBF University of Heidelberg, 3rd quarter 2017

General

Dear Users of the IBF,

this quarter brings you again a relatively short summer newsletter. Nevertheless are its contents quite important. Have fun reading:

Animal welfare

Publication Federal institute for risk assessment (BfR)

The national committee for the protection of animals used for scientific purposes, BfR, has published a paper concerning itself with genotyping methods and the breeding of immuno-modified animals. Source Link.

Following ramifications have to be derived from that:
Genotyping:
Tail biopsies are animal experiments that have to be notified. The IBF has a permit for the animals that are bred and genotyped in the IBF within the frame of our §11 permit. Work groups that have their own permits for the breeding of burdened animals don't need additional permits as they are covered by them.
The use of tissue gained from ear punching for genotyping does not have to be notified, as long as the ear punch was taken "with the intent of identification of animals and the resulting tissue can be used for genotyping purposes".
Animals who are subjected to a tail biopsy qualify as experimental animals that have to be reported due to the legal regulations. That has led to a massive increase in experimental animal numbers in the last two years at Heidelberg University. We would like to advise you therefore, that you should generally use ear tissue for genotyping purposes and tail tissue only in exceptional cases due to animal welfare.

The breeding of immuno-modified animals (e.g. Immuno-Deficiency) now constitutes an animal experiment. Until now that was treated different if the respective Refinement procedures regarding keeping of the animals had been included. The publication changes that. Please check whether you are breeding immuno-modified animals and consult your respective animal welfare office regarding further steps.

Animal orders

Animals that are bought from commercial breeders need to have a certain hygienic status if they are to be brought into the IBF. Normally this is guaranteed by the breeder. There can be changes in said status about which the breeder normally informs the customer and our animal order department. If a change occurs please contact our animal order department as soon as possible and tell them whether you still want to order the animals even with the altered status. If yes, it has to be decided within the IBF if and where the animals can be kept depending on the new status. If the animals cannot be kept in the area originally designated by you, we are going to try and find a solution so that your experiments can still be done. If your original order has to be changed (like weight, age or number of animals) and you have already cleared this with the breeder, please do notify our animal order department. There are very often enquiries when the delivered animals do not seem to be the ones on the order. Generally this is due agreements between customer and breeder and our animal order department was not notified, but the delivery is correct.