The 3Rs Collaborative (3RsC)

🏆 Have you made an impact through the 3Rs? We want to celebrate your work. The 3Rs Collaborative is now accepting applications for our annual awards program, recognizing individuals who are advancing better science for both people and animals. This year, we're seeking applicants for: 🔹 The Building Bridges Award – honoring leaders who strategically combine animal and non-animal methods while advancing the principles of Replacement, Reduction, and Refinement. 🔹 The 3Rs Implementation Award – recognizing impactful implementation of a specific "R." In 2026, the award focuses on Refinement, celebrating efforts that improve animal welfare in research, teaching, and testing settings.  Award recipients receive a personal cash prize, complimentary registration to the next 3Rs Sharing Conference, and the opportunity to share their work with the broader 3Rs community.  📅 Applications are due September 15, 2026. Learn more and apply: https://lnkd.in/efskCe_U #3Rs #AnimalWelfare #ResearchInnovation #Replacement #Reduction #Refinement #ScientificResearch #BetterScience

Refined mouse handling has moved from an emerging practice to an increasingly expected conversation in laboratory animal programs. Over the last decade, the evidence supporting refined handling methods has continued to grow. Yet many institutions still face practical questions about implementation: 🔹 How do we train staff consistently? 🔹 How do we address concerns about time and workflow? 🔹 What strategies help create lasting institutional change? 🔹 What can we learn from organizations that have already made the transition? To help answer these questions, the 3Rs Collaborative's Refined Handling Hub brings together practical resources designed for real-world implementation. The hub includes: ✅ Training videos for cupping, tunnel, and hut handling ✅ Implementation guidance and change-management resources ✅ Information addressing common operational concerns ✅ A comprehensive e-Learning course ✅ Access to our Refined Mouse Handling Mentorship Program Whether you're evaluating refined handling for the first time or looking to strengthen an existing program, these resources can help support your next steps. 📚 Explore the Refined Handling Hub: https://lnkd.in/et_sQAsp 🤝 Learn about the Mentorship Program: https://lnkd.in/gwwuv82G And we'd love to hear from you: Has your institution adopted refined mouse handling practices? What lessons learned would you share with others considering the transition? #AnimalWelfare #3Rs #LaboratoryAnimals #Refinement #ResearchAnimalWelfare #MouseHandling

How do you move from 2D cardiomyocyte models to more predictive 3D functional assays? In our upcoming webinar with Axol Bioscience and King’s College London, we’ll explore how robust human iPSC-derived cardiomyocytes can support the transition toward physiologically relevant 3D cardiac models. Date & Time: 16 July at 4 PM CEST Register here: https://lnkd.in/eVStjzP6 The session will also show how the Cuore platform enables high-resolution measurement of contractile function in engineered cardiac tissues, supporting translational readouts for cardiac research, drug discovery, and safety pharmacology. Excited to present novel data generated in collaboration with Atrogi, demonstrating the effects of their clinical-stage drug in engineered human heart tissues using Cuore. Highlighting the relevance of Cuore in drug development. Speakers include Jamie Bhagwan from Axol Bioscience Ltd., Tom Berkers from Optics11 Life, and Katarzyna Kmiotek-Caller from King's College London. Register here: https://lnkd.in/eVStjzP6 #CardiacResearch #iPSC #DrugDiscovery #TissueEngineering #EngineeredHeartTissue #Cuore #Optics11Life

🌱 Proud to Join the 3Rs Collaborative MileCell is proud to announce our membership in the 3Rs Collaborative (3RsC), a non-profit organization dedicated to advancing better science for both people and animals through the principles of Refinement, Reduction, and Replacement (3Rs). The 3Rs Collaborative brings together industry, academia, and regulatory stakeholders to improve research quality while promoting animal welfare through evidence-based scientific approaches. At MileCell, this mission closely aligns with our commitment to supporting more predictive, reproducible, and biologically relevant research models. Through our portfolio of primary cells, immune cell solutions, cell separation technologies, cryopreservation media, and collaborations supporting organoid and microphysiological systems (MPS), we help researchers improve research quality, generate more reliable data, and support the adoption of scientifically valid alternative models where appropriate. We are especially excited to participate in the 3Rs Collaborative’s MPS Initiative, which aims to increase industry adoption and regulatory acceptance of MPS technologies while advancing the goals of the 3Rs. We look forward to collaborating with fellow members to advance practical, science-driven solutions that benefit researchers, patients, and animals alike. At MileCell, we remain committed to providing high-quality cell-based research method that support drug discovery, translational research, and the development of next-generation human-relevant research models. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/gtR8E6Pe https://www.na3rsc.org/ #3Rs #3RsCollaborative #MPS #Organoids #NAMs #DrugDiscovery #PreclinicalResearch #TranslationalResearch #AnimalWelfare #MileCell  

The 3Rs Collaborative is proud to continue our support of AAALAC International as a Member Organization, joining a global community committed to advancing excellence in animal care and use. We were pleased to participate in AAALAC’s recent annual meeting alongside nearly 80 scientific, professional, and educational organizations from around the world. We’re also honored to have contributed to AAALAC International’s position statement on the 3Rs—helping reinforce the importance of replacement, reduction, and refinement in advancing both ethical and high-quality science. As part of our commitment to the broader community, we’ve developed a Culture of Care resource hub to support institutions in strengthening their programs and continuously improving animal welfare practices. 👉 Explore our resources: https://lnkd.in/e6KY75PB #3Rs #AnimalWelfare #CultureOfCare #AAALAC #ResponsibleScience

Excited to see this important conversation moving forward and especially proud that our Executive Director, Megan LaFollette, will be contributing a panel about our drug‑induced liver injury (DILI) project moving through FDA's ISTAND program.

Our June More 3Rs features workshops, conferences, awards and more!

The 3Rs are taking their place on the global stage, and it’s exciting to see them recognized as part of the future of science. In TIME’s special U.S. 250th anniversary collection, “The Science and Health Breakthroughs Shaping a New America,” a feature on the future of animal research by Rebecca Skloot highlights the importance of thoughtful balance, acknowledging the 3Rs as a guiding framework for scientific progress and animal welfare. For those of us working in this space, this moment feels significant. At the 3Rs Collaborative, we’ve long believed that the future of research isn’t about choosing between innovation and ethics, it’s about advancing both, together. Seeing this balanced, nuanced perspective reflected on a platform like TIME is something worth celebrating. It reinforces what so many in our community already know: • The future of research depends on leveraging all three Rs together • Scientific progress and animal welfare go hand in hand • Thoughtful, evidence-based communication is critical to building trust and driving real change As we look ahead, it’s inspiring to see broader recognition that the path forward is not one-dimensional. Real progress happens when we embrace innovation while continuing to reduce, refine, and replace wherever possible. We’re proud to be part of a community helping shape this future and energized to see the 3Rs gaining the visibility they deserve. 👉 Read the full TIME feature: https://lnkd.in/gkMSHn5m

We’re pleased to share that the recording from our recent 3Rs Collaborative & IQ Consortium Revisiting Liver MPS Webinar is now available on YouTube. This two-day event brought together a wide range of MPS developers and stakeholders to highlight current capabilities, emerging models, and ongoing efforts to advance liver microphysiological systems.  To improve accessibility, all sessions have been compiled into a single recording, with chapters for each presentation—making it easy to revisit specific talks or explore new ones. The recording includes: • 18 presentations from liver MPS providers and stakeholders • Perspectives spanning technology development, applications, and collaboration • Chapter navigation to easily access individual talks 👉 Watch the full webinar on YouTube: https://lnkd.in/e-PDFS-U We hope this serves as a valuable resource for the community. Please feel free to share with colleagues or others interested in MPS. As always, thank you to our presenters, collaborators, and attendees for contributing to a thoughtful and engaging discussion.

What are NAMs, really? If you’ve ever found yourself nodding along in a conversation about “NAMs” while quietly wondering which definition is being used, and whether the field will ever agree on one, this webinar is for you. On Thursday, June 18, 2026 at 2:00 p.m. ET, join us for a timely webinar featuring our Executive Director, Megan LaFollette, unpacking the growing complexity behind one of the most commonly used and misunderstood acronyms in research, policy, and the media. This session will explore: • Why NAMs definitions vary so widely across scientific and regulatory communities • A proposed harmonized, goal‑oriented definition applicable to chemicals, pharmaceuticals, and basic research • How to assess whether specific technologies truly qualify as NAMs (based on the proposed definition) • How NAMs relate to, but remain distinct from, the 3Rs • Where Refinement‑Enabling Innovations (REIs) fit, and what falls outside the NAMs framework Whether you are a researcher, regulator, funder, or policy‑adjacent professional, this webinar aims to bring clarity and intentional thinking to a term dominating scientific and federal conversations worldwide. 👉 Save your spot and join the discussion: https://lnkd.in/gea6CbyB Because when it comes to NAMs, intentionality and clarity are not just helpful. They are essential. #NAMs #AnimalResearch #3Rs #ResearchPolicy #ScientificInnovation #Webinar #AlternativesInResearch