Posted: February 6, 2008

Nanotechnology: Towards reducing animal testing

(Nanowerk News) Applying understanding at the nanoscale to improving achievement of the ‘three Rs’ ...replacement, refinement and reduction

While animal testing of materials or products is still required by a number of regulations, it is costly and the results cannot always be extrapolated to humans. All industries that use animal testing are increasingly under pressure to find effective and acceptable alternatives.

This Conference, the first of its kind in Europe, will examine how nanotechnology could contribute to alternatives to animal testing and also to realisation of the “3Rs”, whilst maintaining the necessary high levels of safety in the pharmaceutical, medical device, chemical, cosmetic and environmental industries.

At this event, leading international experts will

review some of the most promising new, human cell-based in vitro models

describe novel lab-on-a-chip and bioreactor systems for screening, and for toxicological and targeting studies

examine how understanding of the behaviour of materials at the nanoscale can be used to improve biosensors and diagnostic systems

consider new paradigms for applying alternatives incorporating nanotechnology

The Conference programme includes presentations from Fanqin Frank Chen (Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, USA ); Antonio Garcia (Arizona State University, USA); Béatrice Schaack (CEA Grenoble, France); Peter Ertl (Austrian Research Centres, Vienna, Austria); Thomas Peter (Fraunhofer IGB, Stuttgart, Germany); Anna Price (European Commission Joint Research Centre, ISPRA , Italy); John Haycock (Kroto Research Institute, Sheffield, UK) and other experts from leading research, animal welfare and alternatives organisations.

Date: May 28-29, 2008

Location: The Royal Society, London

To register your attendance please visit http://www.nano.org.uk/events/ionevents.htm

Source: Institute of Nanotechnology