Reducing Suffering in Laboratory Animals

The world uses an estimated 20 million mice in laboratory research experiments each year. These experiments are monitored and regulated to protect animal welfare whenever possible. However, analgesics cannot completely eliminate suffering, while many studies cannot use opiates or anti-inflammatory drugs because they would interfere with the biological process being studied. The benefits of animal research may outweigh the cost in animal suffering, but it would be better to perform these experiments without animal suffering. This project seeks to develop strains of mice that experience far less pain and suffering than current animals but are equally suited to laboratory and medical research. If successful, widespread adoption of these mice could drastically reduce animal suffering in laboratories worldwide.