University of Barcelona Educational Webinar Series

What's diet got to do with it?

Webinar 1 of 6

Presented by nutritionist Barb Nicholson, PhD. The webinar discusses the role of diet in laboratory animal research, including the differentiation of diets, production methods, storage guidelines, and quality programs. It also covers the impact of diet on experimental outcomes, considerations for formulating diets, and the use of custom ingredients. The presence of isoflavones in diets and the importance of carefully selecting diets aligned with study objectives are highlighted. The webinar emphasizes the significance of diet choice in research and provides guidance on disposal, acclimation periods, and creating custom diets for different species.

Demystifying Rodent Health Monitoring: Understanding the Underlying Principles and Applications

Webinar 2 of 6

The seminar on rodent health monitoring, presented by Andy Dickinson, delves into the critical importance of health monitoring for animal welfare and research validity. It discusses various health monitoring strategies, including microbiology, immunology, and molecular biology, highlighting their advantages and limitations. The talk emphasizes the evolution of health monitoring methods, particularly the shift towards molecular biology and innovative approaches like sentinel free screening. Attendees are encouraged to combine multiple screening systems for accurate results and to seek expert advice when needed. The session concludes with a reminder that no single method is superior and that consistency in sampling is vital.

Understanding Fiber in Laboratory Rodent Diets

Webinar 3 of 6

The webinar covers the types of laboratory rodent diets, the definition and measurement of fiber, and the challenges of custom fiber adjusted diets. It discusses natural ingredient diets, purified diets, and the mixture of nutrients in standard diets. The presentation emphasizes the importance of careful consideration when drawing conclusions about specific nutrients from different diet types. It also explores the categorization of fiber based on solubility, fermentability, and measurement methods. The challenges of adding fiber to diets and the potential impact on rodents are highlighted, along with the limitations of mimicking carbohydrate complexity in purified diets. The presentation concludes with references and a live Q&A session.

Collaborative Efforts to Advance All 3Rs

Webinar 4 of 6

This two speaker webinar focuses on collaborative efforts to advance the three R's: replacement, reduction, and refinement in animal testing. Dr. Dave Allen presents new approach methodologies for toxicology testing, emphasizing the commitment to animal welfare and alternative testing methods. Dr. Harut Avsaroglu discusses the importance of species-specific enrichment programs for lab animals, emphasizing the need for continuous validation and assessment of their impact on animal welfare and scientific results.

Lab animal diets- The basics and beyond

Webinar 5 of 6

The webinar focuses on lab animal diets, with a primary focus on rodent diets and the role of microbiota in health and disease. It discusses the differentiation of lab animal diets based on ingredient composition, including natural, refined, standard, custom, and medicated diets. The webinar also covers the macronutrient composition ranges for protein, carbohydrates, and fat in rodent diets, as well as the formulation of diets with nutrient levels in excess of estimated requirements. It emphasizes the significance of diet processing, storage recommendations, and the classification of diets as open or closed formulas. Additionally, it addresses the impact of diet type on study conclusions, incomplete reporting about diets in the literature, and considerations for adding compounds to lab animal diets. The physiology of vitamin D metabolism in rodents and the primary sources of mycotoxins in natural ingredient diets are also discussed.

Supportive Colonies: Balancing Animal Supply and the 3Rs

Webinar 6 of 6

The webinar focuses on balancing animal supply and the Three R's, with an emphasis on breeding principles and the challenges faced by pharmaceutical companies, CROs, and academics. Inotiv presents a contract breeding case study and discusses the importance of selecting the right model for a study, timing and availability of animal research colonies, and the demand for specific oncology models. The webinar also covers the utilization of animal colony management software, genetic monitoring, housing conditions, and group size adjustments to improve animal welfare and colony productivity. Inotiv's over sixty years of proven contract breeding experience, global facilities, biosecurity practices, and fully integrated service solutions are highlighted, along with the interconnectedness of services such as contract breeding and embryology services.