THE FIRST INDIAN CONGRESS ON ALTERNATIVES TO THE USE OF ANIMALS IN RESEARCH, TESTING AND EDUCATION

[Guest guest]

THE FIRST INDIAN CONGRESS ON ALTERNATIVES TO THE USE OF ANIMALS IN

RESEARCH, TESTING AND EDUCATION

 

29-31 January, 2007

 

Sri Ramachandra Medical College and Research Institute(Deemed

University), Chennai, India

 

See the world's best innovations in 'in vitro' science. A conference

that gives you the opportunity to have a hands on experience in the

state of the act of the art techniques in research, testing and

education.

 

ORGANIZERS

The International Center for Alternatives in Research and Education

Sri Ramachandra Medical and Research Institute(Deemed University), Chennai

International Institute for Biotechnology and Toxicology, Chennai

 

 

CO-SPONSORS

Doerenkamp-Zbinden Foundation, Switzerland

Alternatives Research and Development Foundation, USA

Medical Council of India

 

 

A survey indicates that 95% of the most coveted prize awarded in

medicine and physiology, the Nobel Prize, in the years 1902 to 1996,

has been incidentally awarded to scientists for research conducted

without animals-for findings that emanated from research conducted by

in vitro methods, methodological modeling, physico-chemical methods

and on less sentient organisms like invertebrates, micro-organisms and

plants.

 

More than a coincidence, it presaged the philosophy of the two

scientists Bill Russel and Rex Burch when they gave the world, in

1959'The Principles of Humane Experimental Technique'- the concept of

the 'Three Rs-Reduction, Refinement and Replacement to the use of

animals in experimentation and teaching.

 

Sir Peter Medawar, the Nobel prize-winning immunologist and the man

who actually launched the " alternatives " concept stated in 1969 that

the use of animals on the current scale was a temporary episode in

biological research and that, paradoxically, research on animals would

in itself provide society with the knowledge that will make

scientistsdispense with and/or stop the use of animals altogether!

 

The concept of the Three Rs has evolved today as " the science of

alternatives " making sweeping changes in laboratory techniques across

the world, in knowledge that only humane science can be good science

and the use of non-animal methods in experimentation is innate to

credible research.

 

The First Indian Congress on Alternatives to the Use of Animals in

Research, Testing and Education, will bring to India for the first

time the finest of scientific discoveries in in vitro technology.

Internationally renowned scientists from the world's best universities

and institutes engaged in alternative research and validation will

also give delegates an opportunity to see and have a hands on

experience in several in vitro methods currently employed in basic

bio-medical research, regulatory testing and life science education.

Pedagogically superior and environment friendly teaching techniques

such as CAL, self training apparatus, models and mannequins used in

teaching medical, veterinary and zoological sciences will be

demonstrated and taught.