Funding for implementation and acceptance of animal test free research

Juliëtte Legler (Professor of Toxicology) and her team have received a NWO grant of approximately €1 million for the project "Animal testing for endocrine disruption - from science to regulatory acceptance". She is working with experts from the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Geosciences, REBO and the RIVM, as well as various stakeholders from industry, regulation and NGOs. Endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are harmful to humans and animals. The European Commission has created legislation for the identification of EDCs, but animal tests are still needed to determine these substances. Apart from the ethical concerns, the relevance of these animal tests to humans is questionable and tests are not available for all EDC-related effects. Current testing strategies are therefore not suitable for identifying all EDCs. Several innovative, non-animal testing models for testing EDCs have been developed, although these are not always accepted by science, regulatory authorities and society at large.