Animal Facility

Most of the animals involved in experiments at our institute originate from our own breeding while some come from specialized laboratory animal breeders. Trained and experienced animal care staff, together with four veterinarians, ensures that the animals are kept in the best possible way according to animal welfare, taking into account the diverse needs of the different species. The husbandry conditions comply with the legal requirements and partly go well beyond those.

Our mission is to provide a wide range of animal research services and training covering a broad portfolio of species, including large and small mammals, vertebrates and invertebrates, as well as freshwater and marine aquatic models. Our state-of-the-art facilities and dedicated staff ensure the health and well-being of our animals as well as producing reliable experimental results. We apply the 3R principle (replacement, reduction, refinement) and are also committed to a fourth R (responsibility) by promoting animal welfare through a culture of care. We aim to contribute both to scientific research projects and animal welfare with our broad expertise and knowledge.

We offer breeding and housing facilities for mice, rats, guinea pigs, rabbits, alpacas, African clawed frogs, planarians, starfish, jellyfish and mosquitoes in accordance with the German Animal Welfare Act and beyond, which are open to all animal research groups. Trained, experienced and dedicated animal technicians, laboratory staff and veterinarians specializing in laboratory animal science, animal welfare and genetics are responsible for the care of the animals. We also support researchers in planning animal experiments, submitting applications and carrying out experimental projects. Our molecular genetic expertise can be used at any stage of an experimental project, including the creation of genetically modified mouse lines through the manipulation of pre-implantation embryos. Furthermore, we offer various reproduction technologies to preserve or revitalize genetic material. Scientists and technical staff without experience in laboratory animal science have the opportunity to gain the ability to work with mice at a GV-SOLAS-certified animal course.

We work in such a way that we either advise and support researchers throughout the experimental project, from conception to planning, calculation of the number of animals needed, breeding of the animals and experimental set-up, or we provide support for individual steps only. We introduce all persons working with animals to the animal husbandry and provide animal welfare-compliant handling courses so that researchers can carry out their experiments on site.

Our mice

... are kept in plastic cages with free access to food and water where they can retreat in small, igloo-shaped hideouts. Nesting material made of cardboard and dried plant fiber contributes to thermoregulation and provides the females with optimal conditions to care for their brood. Almost all of our mice have more space than required by law. Our animal caretakers dedicate a great deal of time to developing and continually expanding the optimal enrichment program for each strain.

Our rats 

... are housed in spacious cages with elevated grid lids that allow for the species-specific rearing behavior. Tubes provide hideouts and paper tissues are available for the rats’ behavioral enrichment and nest building.

Our guinea pigs

... live in groups of up to six animals in specially designed cages that allow them to engage in their species-specific extensive running behavior. In addition to nesting materials and hideouts, the animals are provided with hemp mats, which they use to build tunnel systems.

Our rabbits

... mainly live as a group on litter and straw on the ground. Each room offers cover and several hideouts. If required, small groups of up to four animals can be kept in spacious cages interconnected by removing partitions. Each animal is thus provided with sufficient opportunities to retreat.

Our alpaca herd

... lives year-round on a large outdoor area with grazing land, sand pits, and fields of gravel. The spacious, bright stable is accessible at all times. Our herd currently consists of 23 animals. They are usually easy to observe from the Nikolausberger forest paths or from our institute grounds.

Our African clawed frogs

...are called Xenopus laevis in Latin and are kept in long-lived, stable groups in a freshwater aquarium system where the animals can use hiding places. The water's salt content and temperature are modeled on those of their native African ponds.

Our invertebrate lab animals: planarians, starfish, jellyfish, and mosquitoes

Our planarians belong to the flatworms and live aquatically. We use several large aquarium facilities to keep the established laboratory species Schmidtea mediterranea. In addition, we keep many other planarian species from all parts of the world in their usual aquatic environments, some of which differ greatly from each other.

Our starfish (Patiria miniata) come from the Pacific Ocean and are therefore saltwater aquatics. So-called "living" stones covered with algae and bacteria create water vortices and enrich the basins. Stable group composition is also important for our starfish, which live with us for several years. 

Our jellyfish species Clytia hemisphaerica, which is native to the Mediterranean, also lives in salt water. As a particularly characteristic reproduction mechanism, the jellyfish derive from polyps, the early stage of development. When the polyps are large enough, a bubble-like formation develops on the side of the polyps– a mini jellyfish grows up, which eventually detaches from the polyp and grows to a size of about 2 centimeters. 

Our newest species is the native midge, Chironomus tentans. The non-biting adult midges live only briefly and solely for the purpose of mating. The larvae develop from the egg strands laid in shallow freshwater bowls over several weeks, eventually pupating and transforming back into flying insects.

For our aquatic animals it is important that the respective water corresponds to their domestic conditions in the best possible way. For the frogs these are the African ponds, for the starfish it is the sea water of the Pacific Ocean. Water quality (hardness, salt concentration, pH-value, and pollutants) are constantly controlled and kept or adjusted by targeted water replacement.

Animal welfare and quality standards

The high-quality standards in animal husbandry and in animal experimental projects at the institute are constantly monitored by an animal welfare officer – an experienced specialist veterinarian for laboratory animals. The animal welfare officer is supported by an internal institutional commission.

In addition, the animal welfare officer advises the scientists in the planning and implementation of experiments that involve animals and ensures that stress to the animals is always kept to a minimum.

The animal facility offers qualifying courses to learn and train the expertise and skills required when working with laboratory animals. The courses are certified by the German Society for Laboratory Animal Science (GV-SOLAS). 

You can also inform yourself about our projects with laboratory animals on our portal on animal experiments.