The University of Otago | Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka is an internationally recognised research institution that conducts teaching and research involving the use of animals.
The aims of this research include development of new treatments for humans, and further knowledge that could lead to restoration of New Zealand's biodiversity. Animals are used when the biological systems being studied are too complex to be modelled in any other way. The use of research in animals is only allowed when the potential benefits outweigh the expected harm and when no alternative method is available.
The principles of the Three Rs (3Rs) – a framework developed more than 50 years ago for performing humane research techniques – are at the centre of any use of animals at Otago.
The 3Rs are:
- Replacement: replace animals with a non-animal alternative when possible
- Reduction: reduce the number of animals used to the minimum possible
- Refinement: refine methodology to minimise or eliminate impact of the research on animals
The University uses animals in some of its teaching laboratories with an approach that balances the educational experience with the principles of the 3Rs. These laboratories are coupled with exercises that teach the principles of ethics in animal research to our future generations of scientists.
In 2021, the University signed the Openness Agreement on Animal research and Teaching in New Zealand
The agreement commits the University to ensuring the public is well informed about animal research and teaching. It is initiated and led by the Australia and New Zealand Council for the Care of Animals in Research and Teaching (ANZCCART).
Animal research at Otago is regulated by the Animal Ethics Committee (AEC)
The primary function of the AEC is to review Animal Use Protocols (AUPs) submitted by Principal Investigators, to ensure compliance with the Animal Welfare Act 1999 and the University's Code of Ethical Conduct for the Use of Animals. The principles of the 3Rs are at the core of its decision-making, ensuring very high ethical standards for the use of animals at the University.
Download the Code of Ethical Conduct for the Use of Animals (PDF)
Animal use in Research and Teaching
A key principle in the use of animals in research is that the benefits outweigh the harms. Research at the University covers a range of topics with varied benefits including advancements in medical sciences, conservation biology, agricultural industry solutions, and improving our understanding of the world around us. Researchers must explain the potential benefits of their research when they submit AUPs and the AEC will assess whether these benefits outweigh the harms of the experiments.
Animal studies can range from low impact (e.g., observational or behavioural studies), to moderate impact (e.g., involving animal capture/restraint or taking blood samples), or high impact (e.g., surgical studies or severe disease models). There needs to be a clear explanation of the potential benefits for all studies, but stronger justifications are needed for experiments that have higher impact on the animals. Researchers must also take steps to minimise harm as much as possible, which includes the use of appropriate anaesthetics and veterinary-grade pain-relief medications.
Some of our students are training for industries that use animals and some animal use is included in their learning experience. For example, rodent dissection skills are taught to our biomedical science students because these are essential skills for their careers. However, the use of animals in teaching is balanced with the use of alternatives where possible. Overall, this reduces the total number of animals needed to train our students.
Examples of replacement at the University of Otago
It is possible to conduct some experiments on cells grown in a dish. These cells might be obtained from carcasses after an animal has been euthanised, from tissues discarded from an abattoir, or might involve modified cells that can grow indefinitely (e.g., cells obtained from cancerous tumours). These experiments are useful for examining the inner workings of cells but are usually not effective for exploring interactions between cells or multiple organs in the body.
Our teaching laboratories frequently make use of animal tissues that would normally be discarded from an abattoir. Our students conduct dissections on deer knees and hearts, sheep intestines, pig skins, and chicken bones. Our dissection laboratories have also made use of possum carcasses from pest eradication programmes. This allows our students to learn from animal tissues without breeding animals specifically for use in teaching.
Plastic models are used to train researchers on correct technique for tail-vein blood sampling, drug-injection and the correct suturing (stitching) techniques that are used in surgical procedures. The use of models reduces the number of animals needed for training purposes and minimises the risk of accidents when researchers perform experiments on live animals for the first time.
Some biological systems can be modelled with mathematics. These models can be used to test ideas and develop new hypotheses in computer simulations without using animals. Mathematical modelling can help gain further understanding of systems where research data already exists. Unfortunately, mathematical modelling cannot make new discoveries and cannot completely replace animal experiments, but it can help reduce the number of animals used overall.
Examples of reduction at the University of Otago
Animal experiments examining percent-body fat used to involve euthanising the animal and then conducting a post-mortem dissection to weigh the body fat. The University recently purchased an EchoMRI™, which is a whole-body scanner for live mice. Each mouse can now be scanned multiple times across its lifespan where previously we would have to euthanise many mice at different ages. This technology greatly reduces the number of animals used in each study.
Our researchers use a statistical analysis called a power calculation to determine the correct number of animals for their studies. These analyses use data generated from previous experiments to estimate how many animals an experiment needs to find a significant result. This prevents too many animals from being used in a study that could obtain a result with a smaller sample size. The power calculation also prevents researchers from conducting experiments that are too small to observe a significant result. This prevents the use of animals in experiments with little or no chance of success.
Examples of refinement at the University of Otago
The use of local anaesthesia and analgesia (pain-relief) during surgery are two common refinements used at the University. General anaesthesia is used to put an animal to sleep during surgery. Local anaesthesia is a drug that numbs pain and it might seem unnecessary if the animal has already been put to sleep by general anaesthesia. However, recent research has shown that the post-surgical recovery is greatly improved when both types of anaesthesia are used. The administration of pain-relief at the start of surgery also helps with recovery because the effects will have set-in before the animal wakes from surgery. These refinements might seem like small changes to experimental procedures, but they have a beneficial impact on the recovery of the animal.
The University operates the Otago Zebrafish Facility that provides an alternative to the use of rodents in research. Zebrafish have a less advanced central nervous system than mammals and some work in Zebrafish can be conducted entirely in the embryo stage, before the fish gain consciousness. This enable researchers to conduct lower-impact research while using cutting edge gene-editing technologies.
Other forms of refinement might involve the use of newer, sensitive laboratory analysis technologies that enable data to be obtained with a smaller blood sample. Refinement might also include a less invasive method of delivering drugs, such as adding a drug to drinking water than animal takes voluntarily instead of injecting the drug with a hypodermic needle.
Animal Welfare Office
The Animal Welfare Office's (AWO) main objective is to assist researchers and students with their use of animal models in research, testing and teaching and to ensure that the treatment and care of all animals used at Otago is aligned to the highest international standards. The AWO staff provide extensive training to all researchers involved with animal experimentation in research or teaching. A focus of the training is frequent upskilling of researchers with the most current veterinary knowledge and best-practice in animal care.
The AWO veterinary staff are available 24-hours a day to assist with animal welfare concerns and provide the highest quality veterinary care.