Institutional declaration on the use of experimental animals

The Biosanitary Research Institute of Granada, hereinafter ibs.GRANADA, has joined the transparency agreement in animal experimentation, promoted by the Confederation of Scientific Societies of Spain (COSCE), with the collaboration of the European Association for Animal Research (EARA) and launched on September 20, 2016.

We are aware that animal research plays a fundamental role in understanding the biological mechanisms that are involved in diseases and in the development of medical treatments. Without the use of animals, we would not have most of the medicines, antibiotics, vaccines and surgical techniques that are applied in human and veterinary medicine.

One part of the scientific work carried out in the ibs.GRANADA and that contributes to the improvement of people's lives is thanks to the use of animals in the different GRANADA ibs areas.

The welfare of experimental animals is a fundamental issue for ibs.GRANADA, as is strict respect for and compliance with current legislation on the protection of animals used in experimentation and other scientific purposes, including teaching. Our goal is to achieve the highest standards of animal welfare, not only from the point of moral responsibility for them, but also because quality science could not be achieved without animal welfare. Our animal experimentation complies with legal standards and is reviewed by an ethical committee for animal experimentation, which promotes the use of alternative methods, the reduction of the number of animals used, and the refinement of experimental procedures. No research project that requires the use of animals can begin without the mandatory ethical evaluation and final authorization by the respective competent authority.

The ibs.GRANADA is also in charge of guaranteeing that both the personnel caring for the animals and the researchers involved in experimentation have the necessary training and knowledge, and is committed to providing the necessary resources for the correct maintenance of the experimental animals in what refers to facilities, maintenance, welfare and veterinary attention.