Members of the UZH research community have joined hands to exchange information on animal experimentation licenses. They have set up the Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) community, in which principle researchers can learn from each other’s approved SOPs and licenses.
Animal protection laws in Switzerland are very strict compared to those of other countries. Researchers planning to work with animals in Switzerland need to apply to the Cantonal Veterinary Offices for a valid license. Current 3R practices (reduce, refine, replace) have significantly improved animal welfare in recent years, but the processes through which welfare-relevant information are brought to scientists are not optimal. This lack of information can make license applications a lengthy process, with numerous revisions, which can take up to three years in Zurich.
SOP community helps exchange information
The goal of the SOP community is to exchange information about 3R practices, SOPs and animal experimentation licenses. The community allows Principle Investigators (PIs) to learn from existing licenses that are approved by Cantonal Veterinary Authorities from other PIs. This will help PIs to obtain a license more efficiently.
Access to the community
To gain access to the community (i.e. database of approved SOPs), members must share the SOP of currently valid animal experimentation licenses. For access to the sub-community (i.e. database of current and expired licenses), members are required to share at least one valid or recently expired animal experimentation license. Members of this sub-community gain access to a database of approved licenses, as well as to previously asked questions from Cantonal Veterinary Authorities.
For more information and access to the community, contact Prof. Richard Hahnloser of the Institute of Neuroinformatics
See also: Swiss Researchers Struggle to Get Animal Experiments Approved (The Scientist, Jan 8, 2019)