Examination arrangement

Course content

This course aims to give the necessary theoretical qualifications to work with live animals for scientific purposes. People who are not planning to work with research animals are recommended not to take the course.

Laboratory animal science (LAS) is a multidiciplinary branch of science. People who will work with research animals, or plan and design experiments involving live animals, need adequate education and training in LAS before they can start their work. This course will give the theoretical qualifications.

The main aim of this course is to ensure ethical and humane handling of experimental animals and the collection of informative, objective and reproducible research data from animal experiments. The course follows the theoretical requirements described in the Norwegian regulation on animal experimentation (FOR-2015-06-18-761) §25 and annex E. Additionally, the course aims to follow the theoretical requirements described in the Education and Training Framework by the European Commission to fulfill the requirements for functions (a) (persons who carry out procedures on animals), (b) (persons who design procedures and projects) and (d) (persons who kill animals). After completion of this course the participants need practical training with animals. This is organized at the research animal facility at the candidates' home institution. More information about this can be found below.

The course is organized as one general part and two special parts. All students must complete the general part. In the special parts, the students must choose between traditional laboratory animals (rodents, pigs and zebrafish) or fish/aquatic organisms. Course participants should select their specialization on the basis of the animals they will work with after the course.

Topics included in the general part:

• Legislation
• Ethics, animal welfare and 3R (levels 1 and 2)
• Health hazards
• Humane endpoints
• Severity classification
• Humane killing of animals
• Public administration and the course of events in animal experiments
• Design and statistics

Topics included in the part for traditional laboratory animals:

• Species specific biology of laboratory animals
• Management of laboratory animals
• Microbiological qualities
• Genetically modified animal models
• Environmental factors that may influence animal experiments
• Assessment of pain
• Principles of minimally invasive procedures on animals
• Anesthesia and analgesia for minor and long-lasting procedures
• Basic surgery

Topics included in the part for fish and aquatic animals:

• Legislation concerning fish research
• Experimental conditions
• Stress, biorythms and acclimatization
• Pain and suffering
• Anesthesia
• Handling
• Surgical procedures
• Euthanasia
• Aggression and hierarchy formation
• Health monitoring and microbiological qualities
• Genetically modified fish

Please note that this course is not directed towards field research (animal experiments that happen other places than a facility approved for research animals). Persons who plan field experiments are encouraged to complete their LAS training at an institution who offers tailored training towards field research. As of now, only the Arctic University of Norway (in Tromsø) organizes courses within field research, usually in February or March every year.

Learning outcome

After completing the course, the student should be able to:

• Identify and describe the national and European legislation which regulate the scientific use of animals
• Describe the authorisation that is needed before acting as a user, breeder or supplier of laboratory animals and especially the authorisation required for projects
• Indicate who bears primary responsibility for the animals undergoing procedures
• Describe the differing views within society concerning the scientific use of animals
• Identify ethical and animal welfare issues in their own work
• Demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of the principle of the 3Rs, list examples of how the 3Rs can be implemented in research projects and list sources of information related to the 3Rs
• Describe the severity classification system and give examples of each category
• Describe the basic biology of the relevant animal species, including basic anatomy, physiology, reproduction and behaviour; and recognise the importance of attending to biological and behavioural needs
• Describe the importance of providing an enriched environment to laboratory animals and give examples of environmental enrichment that is appropriate to the species
• Describe the environmental factors of importance for maintaining an appropriate health status for the animals, and how a laboratory animal facility is organized to maintain an appropriate health status and welfare of animals
• Describe the biological consequences of acclimatization, habituation and training
• Describe how genetically altered animals can be used for scientific research and the importance of monitoring such animals very carefully
• List potential human health hazards associated with contact with laboratory animals and describe how these can be prevented or reduced
• Describe abnormal behaviour and signs of discomfort, pain, suffering or distress
• Discuss methods available for assessing animal welfare
• Describe the principle of implementing early humane endpoints and how this implementation can influence animal health and welfare during the course of an experiment
• Define the term "humane killing" and list appropriate euthanasia methods for the relevant animal species
• Recognise that the choice of a euthanasia method may influence the scientific outcome
• Describe appropriate methods and principles for handling animals, and describe common techniques / procedures, including administration and sampling techniques
• Describe where to find relevant and up-to-date information about refinement of animal experiments
• List the different types of formal experimental designs
• Identify the experimental unit
• Describe the variables affecting significance, including the meaning of statistical power and the "p-value"
• Describe how to monitor the microbiological health of laboratory animals
• Describe the terms sedation, local anesthesia and general anesthesia
• Describe the components of pain physiology and list the types of analgesic drugs that are effective at the different components
• Define the term "Balanced anesthesia" and indicate methods to achieve this
• Describe how to do pre-operative, intraoperative and post-operative evaluation of research animals
• Describe different methods to optimize post anesthetic recovery
• Indicate some of the problems associated with pain recognition and pain management in animals

Learning methods and activities

The theoretical teaching will happen partly as self-studies using e-based learning tools with tests and assignments, and partly as lectures (given online or in an auditorium).

The general part will consist of e-based learning tools using course material that will be made available in Blackboard. There will be tests and other assignments to most of the course modules. Completion of tests and assignments is mandatory. The deadline will be given around the start of the semester. Supplementary lectures will be given as online lectures.

The special part for traditional research animals will consist of e-based learning tools using course material that will be made available in Blackboard. There will be tests and other assignments to most of the course modules. Completion of tests and assignments is mandatory. The deadline will be given around the start of the semester. Supplementary lectures will be given as online lectures.

The special part for fish and aquatic animals will consist of lectures, either online or in an auditorium, given intensively over a few days. Attendance to the lectures is mandatory.

People who will work with research animals need practical training. For people who will work with rodents, the practical training is a standard programme that must be supervised by CareIn certified instructors. At NTNU, this is organized as a separate course with a course code NEVR8014P, starting in the beginning of each semester. People with affiliation to other institutions need to contact the laboratory animal facility at their home institution to get information about how the practical training is organized. Please note that a research animal facility may require economic compensation for the practical training. People who will work with other animal species need to have their practical training supervised by persons with relevant and up-to-date competence within the species and the techniques.

People who complete the theoretical course and the practical course will get a course certificate that confirms training to fulfil functions (a) (performing procedures on animals), (b) (designing procedures and projects) and (d) (killing animals). Persons who complete only the theoretical course will get a course certificate that confirms training to fulfil function (b).

Compulsory assignments

• Mandatory assignments
• For fish spesialization: mandatory lectures

Further on evaluation

If the written exam is evaluated as "failed" the written exam must be repeated. If the home exam is evaluated as "failed" a new home exam must be submitted.

Specific conditions

Recommended previous knowledge

Basic knowledge in anatomy and physiology, competence in statistics, knowledge about literature searches on the internet and in libraries

Required previous knowledge

A 3-year education at university or college level is a prerequisite in order for the participant to plan and design procedures and projects (Function (b) in the EU Directive 2010/63).

Enrollment in a PhD programme, master programme or at "forskerlinjen" in medicine at NTNU. PhD- and "forskerlinje"-students at the Medical faculties at UiT, UiB and UiO are given access according to a mutual agreement between these universities. Other people with a master's degree or education at a higher level than master's degree can apply to the course as external participants. More information about how to apply can be found here

Applicants with an education lower than a master's degree are referred to the course MDV6003; Laboratory Animal Science for Researchers.

Course materials

The course syllabus will be the learning material to be used during the course, and in addition a selection of articles and other written material that will be made available for the students. As supportive literature, a text book in laboratory animal science is recommended. For example; "The UFAW handbook on The Care and Management of Laboratory and Other Research Animals", Eighth Edition, 2010, Edited by Robert Hubrecht and James Kirkwood.

Credit reductions