The CDP is a facility of the UMCG where all animal experimentation is conducted. The CDP supports and facilitates research and education projects involving experimental animals. The CDP makes a recognisable and unique contribution to achieving the objectives of the UMCG and RUG
Our mission statement is: ''Professionally facilitate and support animal experimentation with optimal animal welfare control.''
We offer:
The Central Animal Facility offers advice and support from planning up to and including the conduct of animal research focused on biomedical research and education. For the housing of the different animal species we have state-of-the-art housing opportunities.
The Central Animal Facility has specialized rooms where different laboratory animals are housed
Research groups are performing experiments in the CDP in fundamental, clinical, and translational research. The animal experiments carried out cover a wide spectrum of research lines in many disciplines. For example:
Our facility is accessible to both internal and external researchers. We offer support ranging from screening your CCD project proposal and AWB protocol to providing training, education, and PRIS (laboratory data management).
For new requests please read the route to Approval.
Information about the application procedure for experiments with animals can be found below. For conducting an animal experiment you need to have an approved CCD application (Central Authority for Scientific Procedures on Animals; in Dutch: Centrale Commissie Proefdieren).
Members of the AWB:
Organizationally, the AWB falls under the CDP. The AWB is composed of staff members of the CDP, veterinarians, animal-technicians, and one or more scientists. If necessary, the group is supplemented by a statistician, or other specialists. The researcher whose AWB protocol is discussed, takes part in the AWB in the role of scientist.
The AWB acts on behalf of the RUG/UMCG to oversee legal supervision of the performance of animal experiments and the welfare of laboratory animals, in accordance with the Animal Experimentation Act. The AWB is available via email [email protected].
The Animal Welfare Body has a large number of tasks that we conduct on behalf of RUG/UMCG. These tasks are largely prescribed by law in accordance with the provisions of the Experiments on Animals Act.
The most important of these tasks include: Giving advice to personal who are working with animals regarding animal welfare, ordering, housing, care taking and the use of animals.
Giving advice to personnel regarding article 1d of the law on animal experiments regarding replacement, reduction and refinement of animal experiments and informing of technical and scientific development of this regulation.
Care, implementation and verification of internal procedures regarding control, reporting and follow up with respect to welfare of the housed animals. The AWB follows the developments and results of projects with respect to the effects on the used animals and analyses elements that contribute to replacement, reduction and refinement of animal experiments.
The CDP teaches various courses, i.e., the practical part of obtaining the art. 9 and art. 12 authorisations (in collaboration with the Animal Welfare Officers), a laparoscopic course (via the Wenckebach Institute). In addition, several microsurgery courses are taught.
(ex. Art.9 Experiments on Animals Act, Felasa A and B accredited)
This course is designed to train participants in accordance with the requirements of Article 9 of the Experiments on Animals Act and is compulsory for anyone involved in the design and implementation of laboratory animal testing.
The course is composed of basic modules and a species-specific modules. The qualification earned is essential for those needing to determine independently how animal experiments should be conducted. The course is available to participants who have completed a Master’s degree in a relevant medical/biomedical area or hold an appointment as an MD/PhD student. In consultation with the participant, the species-specific module may be taken at another location. The species-specific modules for the most common laboratory animal species mouse and rat are routinely offered by the University of Groningen.
The course will be organised two times per year: in January and September.
For additional information and enrollment, please visit: Course on Laboratory Animal Science | Animal Experiments at the RUG | University of Groningen
4 European Credit points
The CDP offers a 3 day microsurgery course for PhD students, animal technicians and researchers who are certified to work with laboratory animals.
The course covers the basic concepts of instrument handling, tissue handling, suturing and knots, making vascular anastomoses and the use of the operating microscope. The course is three days long, the third day being dedicated to the training of specific techniques, the first two days include training in microsurgical skills relevant to complete a patent micro-vascular anastomosis.
The next course will be scheduled on demand.
To enroll or for more info, please contact Annemieke van Oosten at [email protected]
Techniques taught:
PRIS (in Dutch: ProefdierRegistratie en Informatie Systeem) is the laboratory datamangement system for animal experimentation used at the Central Animal Facility of the UMCG. The system supports the entire cycle of a research project: from the research question involving animal experiments to the implementation of these experiments and the registration of generated data (for example the complete breeding administration). In addition, financial data, invoicing information and management data is generated as output.
Every researcher registered at the Animal Welfare Body of the CDP can get access to PRIS. Please send the request for an account to the infodesk of the CDP.
Central Animal Facility
University Medical Centre Groningen (UMCG)
Ant. Deusinglaan 1
9713 AV Groningen
The Netherlands
Animal Welfare Body: [email protected]
Course on Laboratory Animal Science: [email protected]
