Some examples of openness about animal research on the websites of biomedical institutions in Spain and the USA have come to our attention.
The Applied and Experimental Biomedical Research Center (CREBA) in Lleida, Spain, has improved the virtual tour function on its website by adding images of the pigs it uses in its research (pictured) – found directly via the drop-down menu for the Corralina2 facility – where the animals are housed.
CREBA has also added imagery of pigs undergoing surgery for research purposes in the photo album of the gallery.
Lola Garcia Olmo, technical manager at CREBA, explained: “The truth is that, in addition to contributing to transparency, this tool is serving us a lot when potential users are interested in the Center’s possibilities.”
CREBA provides biomedical facilities for translational research, in particular for long-term projects that use large animals, as well as continuing education and training for health professionals.
EARA will soon be publishing the latest edition of its Website Openness Study, which has analysed the content of almost 1,000 institutional websites in all EU member states, to assess how open they are in showcasing the use of animals for biomedical research.
Meanwhile, the University of Washington, in Seattle, USA, highlighted the improvements to its webpages on animal research, at a recent webinar by the Zebrafish Husbandry Association, an EARA member.
The webpage content includes a full statement about its use of animals, the numbers and species of animals used at the university, FAQs and further information on the 3Rs.