3R-Center Rhein-Neckar

Founded in January 2021, a key task of the 3R Center Rhine-Neckar, which is located in Heidelberg and Mannheim, will be to improve the coordination of animal experiments in the region. A database will help to facilitate the joint exchange of information and resources between the laboratories. In addition, the centre will be a single point of contact when it comes to designing new experiments. It will support researchers in selecting appropriate animal models or assist in study design, offer training on the 3Rs principles and special seminars on animal welfare. Free access to research results based on open science principles will also be promoted.

To further reduce animal testing, the Rhine-Neckar 3R Center supports research projects that obtain data using alternative approaches. These include laboratory tests on cell-based systems and organoids, experiments using computer models and computer simulations as well as Big Data approaches for evaluating large amounts of data.

The centre is based at the Central Institute of Mental Health (CIMH) in Mannheim, Germany.