In the News
Delving into reduced severity: Somark brings innovative identification to Athens
The Federation of European Laboratory Animal Science Associations, or FELASA, as they’re more commonly referred to, is a reputable organisation that promotes responsible and respectful laboratory animal science.
Their Annual Congress is returning in 2025, and in June we will be one of many preclinical research product and service providers attending the exhibition to showcase our contribution to three R compliance within in vivo studies.
This year’s theme is an honourable and important topic of discussion, primarily ‘reducing the severity’ in animal research. This topic is one that is prevalent within regulatory bodies, as they strive to continuing approving only the absolutely necessary and vital in vivo studies which could advance the development of promising drug candidates.
Across many valuable fields of research there are a number of aspects of approval that are required prior to in vivo studies due to the complexity of their research topics and the lack of a proven successful alternative for whole-organism interactions: in vitro assays, artificial intelligence or organ-on-a-chip. These research areas include:
Cancer research including personalised therapies
Neurological and neurodegenerative disease study
Antimicrobial resistance research
Regenerative medicine and gene therapy
As critical as these research avenues are for public health advancements and disease understanding, the topic of animal severity is also crucial for reliable, accurate and most importantly, ethical research.
FELASA are at the forefront of encouraging animal welfare collaborations, bringing leaders from across the globe into one conference centre to communicate the ongoing importance of reducing severity in animal models. This year’s event is hosted in Athens, Greece, named the ‘birthplace’ of biomedical research for the significant transformation from Homeric to Archaic as well as Classical periods of medicinal evolution, and Somark are pleased to showcase their innovations at Booth B83!
Ahead of the event, we will begin our discussions of reducing the severity and the many steps where Somark has enabled global research organisations to take towards improving research techniques surrounding identification and general colony management.
The Roots of Research and Identification
FELASA will be offering a specialised session at the conference which focuses on the roots of research. Given the geographical location of the event, we believe this will offer a historical, ethical and philosophical outlook on the progress made in research operations and processes and the origin of the foundations of animal models.
In this instance, it is only appropriate that Somark offer a back-to-basics summary of animal, and more specifically rodent, involvement in preclinical research and the evolution of identification methods.
Mouse models and their history
We can trace the history of mouse models back to their initial use for domesticated selective breeding in the 1600s. Japan, China, Europe and Egypt would breed mice for unique coats and colours. Eventually, this led to England and Japan recognising their capabilities for controlled genetics and the value of this in scientific study.
The rise of mice models hit in the 18th-19th century until the laboratory mouse was standardised as an approved methodology during the 20th century. Here, Clarence Cook Little, also known as Jackson Laboratory/JAX, developed two key identical strains, C57BL/6 and BALB/c.
The foundations of identification
In the same breath that laboratory mice were standardised, identifying one mouse from another within an identical strain colony became problematic. Methods to identify originated with pen markers, which faded quickly and couldn’t advance in the same way that research was.
In roughly the 1920s, ear notching became the first permanent method of identification. Toe clipping came shortly after this in the 20th century too, however, ethical concerns led to several researchers opting for other methods.
Tags and tattooing then emerged, with a final shift towards electronic identification methods appearing in the late 20th century. Microchips evolved into today’s 21st-century nano RFID tags and innovative tattooing.
The duty of identification in reducing severity
The history of the in vivo landscape highlights the important role that the laboratory mouse has played for thousands of years.
They have proved vital in immunology, antibiotics, immune system understanding, cancer tumour understanding, gene functionality and much more. With this, we owe a duty to the trusted in vivo mouse model to reduce severity during the study period.
Severity spans across animal care, animal use and training. Somark offers refined techniques of identification which have been proven to reduce stress, anxiety and the handling of research rodents. With this, came the benefit of more reliable results and tangible data. Somark has seen over 3+ million mice identified using our products, which unifies the global movement towards animal welfare-compliant identification.
Through Digitail, Somark introduced the world’s smallest RFID tag. Boasting the benefit of extended read distances and quick application, permanence and non-toxicity as well as ISO 18000-6c compliance.
Labstamp, an alternative to our RFID technology, offers permanent tattooing through a ~30 second application time while avoiding tissue trauma, dermatitis, auricula chondritis and other problems that occur with ear tags.
Both methods are minimally invasive and significantly reduce the need to handle any mice, creating a stress-free alternative that aligns with the Three Rs. Both also last the lifetime that a mouse is on a study, which further reduces the distress of other traditional methods which often require re-tagging/applying or cause pain and injury to the mouse.
Leading the Change at Athens!
Reducing severity is a theme we are passionate about since its alliance with our entire business ethos. For almost 10 years, Somark has put animal welfare at the centre of operations through Labstamp and Digitail. Our history is extensive, and our reputation is thanks to partnerships with leading research institutes including:
Charles River Laboratories, Novartis, Sanofi, Minerva Imaging, uniQure, Bioemtech, St Jude and Dana Farber.
Putting the research subject at the centre of the identification is the only way to improve welfare, the motivation for doing this? It’s simple, better research for all!
Through our at-booth demonstrations and videos, we can consolidate a case for innovative identification methods. Labstamp and Digitail are just two products that can serve the sector, with more animal validation projects underway utilising our tags and tattoos. These two pathways provide the practical tools and evidence to support a step change towards reducing severity in animal care.
Researchers across the globe are effortlessly benefitting from more reliable and accurate research data. This is only achievable through an efficient identification method which puts animal welfare at the core. Labstamp and Digitail are must-see innovations at the event!
This introduction to Somark’s passion for reducing severity is one of many, we will continue this series in a bid to reflect the important role that animal welfare has played in the development of our identification systems as well as the role it plays in our future.
Will we see you at FELASA? Head to Booth B83 to start a discussion with our team; alternatively you can sign up for our mailing list here to be the first to hear of our exciting developments ahead of the event!
