LÉO RAMOSNetwork wants to encourage the breeding of laboratory animals to meet Brazilian demandLÉO RAMOS
The National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq) has announced the formation of a national network of animal research facilities, where the animals used in laboratory experiments are bred and housed. Called the National Network of Animal Research Facilities for Scientific, Educational, and Technological Purposes (Rebiotério), its goal will be to foster the establishment of facilities for rats, mice, and rabbits and to encourage their quality so that national demand is met adequately and in an organized fashion. “Current thought is that the use of animals is still indispensable to in vivo testing and that supply and demand are uneven in Brazil today because of a substantial rise in the country’s scientific production,” the CNPq stated in a release. Attached to the Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovation (MCTI), the institute will chart, monitor, and provide support for the breeding and raising of animals, in addition to registering all animal research facilities in the country. According to Marcelo Morales, director of Agricultural Sciences, Biological, and Health Sciences at the CNPq and Rebiotério coordinator, at present only some facilities raise animals for research purposes; they do so to meet their own needs and are unable to help other institutions. Morales reports that some researchers have to wait two to five months to obtain quality animals that can be used in scientific experiments.
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