Laboratory Animal Science for Researchers

Legislation, ethics and views in society; the course of events in animal experiments; biology of lab animals; the choice of species; genetical and environmental factors influencing animal experiments; health hazards; principles concerning the handling of animals, anesthesia, analgesia and humane killing of lab animals; evaluation and quality control of animal experiments; reporting; alternatives to animals experiments; literature search.

The course is divided into two sections; a general section (3 days) and a selectable section (2 days) where the students can choose between traditional laboratory animals, or fish/aquatic organisms, or wild life/field experiments.

After having completed the course, the researcher should:
-know the principles behind modern theory on animal experiments and welfare -know the legislature regulating the use of lab animals in Norway -know the potential health hazards related to animal experiments, and how to minimize these hazards -understand the significance of the internal and external factors influencing a lab animal and which thereby may influence the outcome of the experiment
-know how to work in order to best possible standardize these factors
-know roughly how to monitor the health of lab animals
-understand the most important principles for chosing methods for handling and treating lab animals
-understand the principles behind anesthesia, analgesia and humane killing of lab animals -understand the general principles for planning animal experiments, including quality control -know of the potential alternatives and supplements to animal experiments which exist -be able to evaluate a published article on animal experiments with emphasis on how the animals are described and used -know of and be able to use guidelines for good reporting of animal experiments -have insight into the most important factors which decide the running of a research department using lab animals -have an attitude towards the lab animals which reflect "the three R's" with focus on animal protection and animal welfare (Replace, Reduce, Refine).

Lectures, demonstrations and tours, study groups and individual assignments. The course consists of 35 hours of lectures and preparations for these, 24 hours of self-tuition (group work and individual assignments) and 21 hours of practical training. The requirements are set by the Department of agriculture.
(http://oslovet.veths.no/Oppl/nye.html#KatC)