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Institute of Animal Technology Bulletin G Whiptail Lizards G Primate Housing G IAT Council Meeting G AS ET News G Branch News G Diary Dates Vol 54 No 4 April 2018
Bulletin Vol 54 No 4 April 2018 EDITOR Carole Wilson bulletineditor iat org uk ASSISTANT EDITOR Karen Dunford bulletinassistant iat org uk CONTENTS Dear Readers IAT January Council Meeting ADVERTISEMENT MANAGERS PRC Associates Ltd mail prcassoc co uk Published monthly by the Institute of Animal Technology Registered Office 5 South Parade Summertown Oxford OX2 7JL ISSN 0263 2861 For enquiries other than Bulletin related contact IAT ADMINISTRATOR admin iat org uk or 0800 085 4380 Final copy date for June Bulletin 1st May The opinions expressed in the Bulletin do not necessarily reflect those of the Editor or the Institute IAT LAVA LASA Named Persons Workshop IAT Animal Welfare Group 5 7 9 11 13 13 NIO Workshop 14 19 Captive Care of Whiptail Lizards 20 26 AS ET News 27 31 Cage Sizes for Primates 32 35 Branch News 36 43 Dispatches 44 NIO Forum 45 Situations Vacant 46 Diary Dates 47
Bulletin April 2018 De ar Re aders Congress is all over and I m glad we all had a good time Of course I don t know that for sure because as I write this I am at Kings Cross Station waiting to leave to go up to Harrogate and meet my friends Following our lead article of the Pirbright pigs last month and my desire to cover both more unusual and a greater variety of species used in research we lead this month with an article about whiptail lizards by Diana Baumann see page 20 Diana and her colleagues also provided the cover photo which I think is an amazing image Following that theme the IAT Welfare Group is also back this time reviewing a paper about primate housing see page 32 If your interests lie more with people then read about what the branches have been doing The West Middlesex Branch held their annual Technicians symposium and Trade Day this time at The Crick Institute I think I speak for everyone when I say how good a time we all had Read about that on the AS ET page 27 Elsewhere the Wellcome Trust stem cell s BSU have been on an away day to Shepreth Wildlife Park see page 39 It looks like everyone had a good time In Dispatches see page 45 I have re printed an article about the differences between animal technicians and animal technologists How do you see yourself Which leads me to remind everyone whether you see yourself as an animal technician or technologist that the Bulletin belongs to you So if you have something you wish to write about please share it at my usual email address Happy R eadi ng Carole 5
Bulletin April 2018 7 Bulletin Synopsis of the IAT Council Meeting held on Wednesday 31st January 2018 IAT Membership The IAT membership renewal letters were sent out in November for 2018 There had been a query raised at the 2017 AGM regarding the retired rate for membership subscriptions and therefore a statement concerning this had been included in the letter which accompanied all membership renewals Members were asked to indicate on their form if they wished to apply for the reduced rate Council discussed the retirement age and agreed that as there is no longer an official retirement age no arbitrary retirement age limit could be introduced subsequently it would be for the individual to apply if they felt it appropriate A statement will be placed on the website that if a member wished to take advantage of the retired rate they should write to the Administrator IAT Council Elections There are eleven people standing for nine places on Council and so an election is taking place Voting forms have been sent out to those eligible to vote The result of the election will be announced at the AGM on Tuesday 20th March and then published on the IAT website Continuing Communications Strategy IAT Council had committed to utilise UAR to assist with IAT Communications particularly in relation to social media activity However the IAT Treasurer now advises that this spending should be reigned back as funding will now be required in other areas especially Education and Apprenticeships Animal Welfare Group The Animal Welfare Group have been working on the Welfare section of the IAT website They have reviewed various papers and are updating content Communications Group The Photo Competition is being run again culminating in the best 20 photographs being judged at Congress 2018 The winning photograph will be used on the front cover of the Bulletin All competition details are available on the website Congress 2018 Plans for Congress 2018 are progressing well Delegate registration numbers are up for the time of year as are trade exhibitor bookings The At A Glance programme is on the website and the Congress App has now been launched
8 April 2018 Bulletin An e shot has been sent out to all those registered to attend Congress and they have received a link to download the App Twelve workshops have been arranged on Tuesday and Wednesday and new for 2018 is the introduction of commercial workshops Full details are available on the website and App The Kevin Dolan Memorial Lecture will be given by Dr Katie Slocombe entitled Evolution of language what do chimpanzees have to say Congress venues for 2019 2020 and 2021 have been identified and secured with deposits The event in 2020 will be a joint meeting with LASA and LAVA and will replace the LASA Winter Meeting and IAT Congress that year A website has been set up for AST2020 Animal Science and Technology 2020 www ast2020 org where people can register their interest Educational and Business Development Executive A person specification is being prepared for the above role ready to be advertised The IAT application to become an End Point Assessor is progressing and so this new role needs to be advertised and an appointment made as soon as possible The role holder will be expected to develop the role bringing in business and looking after the IAT interests Ideally the successful applicant will have experience in the field of Higher Education IAT FE Education The following awards were issued from January 2017 to December 2017 QCF 600 8401 7 Diploma in Work Based Animal Technology Level 2 0 QCF 600 0558 0 Diploma in Laboratory Animal Husbandry Level 2 3 QCF 600 0559 2 Diploma in Laboratory Animal Science Technology Level 2 150 QCF 600 0560 9 Diploma in Laboratory Animal Science Technology Level 3 40 There will be a FE Providers meeting scheduled at Congress 2018 Branch Rules The Branch Liaison Officer BLO has updated the Branch Rules This update was requested by the Branches and consequently needs to be adhered to The BLO will work with the Branches to see if further amendments are required IAT HE Graduation Ceremony Council were disappointed to hear that less than 30 of students have attended the three IAT HE Graduation Ceremonies The Ceremonies are uniquely family friendly with both students and their families being very
Bulletin April 2018 9 proud of their achievements and enjoying the day Council and AS ET have been very generous in their support for the Ceremonies and all venues have offered a discount on the day due to the excellent atmosphere of the event There were some suggestions as to why there is a low uptake on attendance G G G G G G the Graduation is announced by e mail and not discussed face to face the date is announced in spring for a late summer graduation the majority of students and families have no experience of graduations not all families are aware of the student s career students may relate graduations with what they see in their own work places students do not realise they can attend for successful completion at Levels 4 5 and 6 Council will look at these issues and will discuss future options as well as timings and frequency at a future Council meeting Elections to Fellowship FIAT and Membership MIAT The list of names of those who have applied to be awarded FIAT status need to go before IAT Council are subject to formal election and should be recorded in the minutes accordingly One application for MIAT status has been received from Ms Kerry Lavin Thomson University of Edinburgh One application has also been received for FIAT status Miss Samantha Calvert Agenda BSU Both applications were proposed seconded and approved by Council The next meeting of the IAT Council will take place in March 2018
Bulletin April 2018 11 IAT LASA and LAVA Named Persons Workshop Competency Assessment held on 23rd January 2018 T he aim of the workshop was to provide practical knowledge and tools that we could bring back to the workplace to help ensure that assessors are equipped to carry out competency assessments Topics covered on the day were What is assessment and why does it matter What is included in an assessment Setting a standard Tools for practical assessment Making assessments work in practice The day began with an explanation of the difference between training and assessment and the importance of having a different person carry out an assessment not the trainer We discussed how to carry out assessments in a positive supportive manner in order to promote learning and how to ensure that assessments are transparent fair and consistent Transparency can be achieved by ensuring that the person being assessed is aware of all expectations and criteria in advance by allowing them access to the competency assessment sheet We then discussed how to put a system of competency assessment into place to ensure all areas are covered and therefore achieve consistency and fairness across candidates and assessors The importance of establishing specific learning outcomes before training starts and designing competency assessments to match these learning requirements was also discussed Grading should be worded as either meets expectations or below expectations It should be decided and agreed what is required for meets expectations If the candidate is below expectations a written reason should be provided on their form
12 April 2018 Bulletin We discussed some tips on performing assessments and what should be included in an assessment knowledge of subject practical skills and attitude Assessments should look at a performance outcome not just adherence to an SOP However a simple checklist can be used for the practical part of the assessment Attitude should include the candidate s behaviours Things to assess can be Level of confidence Compassion for animals Acceptance of feedback Reactions to the unexpected Honesty Openness to changes refinements Respect of rules ASPA SOPs local guidance etc Feedback should be given to the candidate directly after the assessment and if any criteria were below expectations meaning the candidate did not pass the assessment these should be explained and further support given prior to a reassessment We discussed whether there should be any flexibility in the criteria In particular whether it would be different if assessing a newly trained person vs reassessing an already competent person and how you should approach assessing someone who has moved units institutes It was agreed that the same form should be used across all candidates but that there may be some difference on what you might expect with regard to confidence however this should still fall within your agreed expected grading criteria for meets expectations We then discussed using DOPs direct observation of procedural skills These are forms which are filled in by the assessor at the time of the assessment These are then kept in the candidate s training file We were provided with a USB containing 20 examples of DOP sheets for a range of procedures These can be adapted and used within the workplace or used for ideas to create own versions We were also advised on some free online courses which might be useful
Bulletin April 2018 www coursera org Includes giving feedback and teaching assessing clinical skills www alison com For teachers and trainers www futurelearn com Clinical supervision with confidence These are not training courses provided by the animal science technology industry but may still have some useful information Report by Anna Sullivan and Barbara Rudling Francis Crick Institute London 01 2 2 2 3 4 5 61 7 8 9
14 April 2018 Bulletin Two day NIO Workshop 3 4 October 2017 Lane End Conference Centre I n the autumn of 2017 Redkite Vets and Understanding Animal Research ran a two day workshop aimed specifically at Named Information Officers The NIO role is a new role under ASPA 2012 and remains the most poorly defined of the named roles The aim of this interactive workshop was to provide information and guidance but also to support NIOs from establishments across the UK in understanding how the role has been implemented in different institutions The two day format gave plenty of chance for NIOs to meet network and consider their roles away from their usual day to day pressures Home Office introduction to the NIO role An overview of the NIO role was given by Home Office Inspector Amita Shortland who saw the NIO role as a facilitator passing information between many different groups of people They should provide specific advice on the 3Rs and ensure that project and personal licence holders are aware of developments in animal welfare which could contribute to or support their research This role is particularly important in less structured research environments such as universities Their main skills will be around networking communication and attention to detail Communication with and connection to the activities of both the AWERB and the Home Office are vital when the NIO is not the HOLC it is recommended that they have a close working relationship Mapping the NIO role This session looked at the experience of being an NIO expectations barriers and the reality of doing the job and what the role needs to support good institutional practice The mapping process was supported by a graphic recorder who illustrated the discussion NIOs feel that they are either the hub or the spoke of the wheel connecting many people The primary NIO role is to use collaborations and networks to provide relevant information either as conduits passing from source to stakeholder or by processing and sorting out the information They support compliance with ASPA by filling some of the knowledge gaps and providing sources of information to project licence holders They help to find the answers to questions even those which people do not know they have and were often expected to know everything
Bulletin April 2018 15 Most NIOs now sit on their AWERB a change from 2016 when most reported that they did not and it is recommended practice as detailed in LASA s guidance that the NIO is a permanent member of the AWERB Resources especially time and grade allocated to the role vary considerably across organisations When the role was introduced there was no supporting guidance and as it is poorly defined the NIO role is typically under resourced Almost all NIOs have been given the role in addition to their other full time role and it is almost unheard of for the NIO to be a full time role NIO The value placed on the NIO role varies by organisation according to the views of the managers and clarity about the nature of the role will be needed to ensure that it is given sufficient recognition This lack of clarity around the function of the NIO also impacts on the community of scientific researchers who use animals In general these researchers have very little understanding of who their NIO is or their purpose This confusion is confounded by the multiple job titles that NIO s hold which means it is not always clear which capacity they are working in at a given time Because ASPA places emphasis on knowledge of the species used in the establishment the NIO must have excellent indepth knowledge of the particular species used so that they can support specialist knowledge of the 3Rs The 3Rs are often specific to species fields of study and circumstances the NIO must be fully embedded in an organisation working with the AWERB licence holders and the animal facility staff to be most effective in supporting better project design and better science
16 April 2018 Bulletin SYRCLE SYRCLE is an academic centre for the development of systematic reviews of animal studies based in the Netherlands They delivered a half day workshop on carrying out comprehensive search strategies and appraising the papers returned for risk of bias Although technical in nature the workshop was eyeopening and taught us all ways to use PubMed more effectively and why improved experimental design is key to high quality reproducible research As well as providing some new technical skills the workshop showed the role that NIOs can play in supporting experimental design and more robust research projects Dissemination NIOs speak to a huge number of stakeholders and audiences both within and outside their institutions acting as conduits for information but also processing information to provide specific sources tools and advice Their audiences can be grouped as Internal expert including animal techs PiL holders PPL holders Internal non expert including HR communications teams students External expert including ASRU IAT RSPCA External non expert including local politicians public There are many ways to provide information and direct spoken communication either one to one or in a group is usually desirable but may be impractical in many situations It can be particularly difficult to have one toone discussions with many stakeholders in large organisations Notice boards email and intranet become essential tools but it is difficult to tell whether communications sent this way are received by the right people Using services such as MailChimp to construct newsletters allows NIOs to know who has read notices and using short tests or quizzes on information that has been passed out to ensure that it has been read These can be useful tools for understanding how well information has been communicated How well am I doing This session looked at self appraisal tools and asked participants to consider an activity they carry out as part of their NIO role and how they might build reflective practice into it so that they can consider whether their interventions are effective Each intervention is unique to the situation but takes planning and a consideration of how to gain feedback on whether the activity was helpful
Bulletin April 2018 17 A general measure of success for the NIO role would be that project licence applications should show better consideration of the 3Rs and experimental design and be accepted more readily by the Home Office Databases The group looked at a range of databases to assess how usable and helpful they were for searching specific information on 3Rs or animal science relevant topics A comprehensive list of useful databases and search tools that might be helpful to NIOs can be found on the FRAME website After testing each database the group found PubMed to be the most helpful tool for accessing relevant information and publications particularly when advanced search techniques such as SYRCLE s embedded animals search and strings for non MeSH searches were included Yippe is a search engine which searches both the indexed and the invisible web and was useful when care was taken with search terms returning a wide range of websites but it was not possible to search for pictures or videos Google provided a comprehensive search in most instances and was excellent at determining which words in a string were relevant to the search as well as returning a variety of resources More specific tools such as Norecopa or the NC3Rs web resource proved less helpful for completing the workshop information task A job description for NIOs The schedule for the final afternoon was amended to develop a job description that captured the essential components of the NIO role Previously the role has been poorly defined and descriptions have been based on activity without an overview of what the NIO role is intended to achieve It was clear during the workshop that the role has enormous potential to support and tackle some of the most significant current problems in biomedical research those around reproducibility of results poor experimental design and implementation of 3Rs practices To do this well requires that sufficient time resources and status used is given to the role to make it effective within an institution The NIOs present at the session came from a range of backgrounds including HOLC senior animal technician academic scientist vet and administrator All of these backgrounds brought different expertise and experience to the
18 April 2018 Bulletin role but the key quality needed was the skill to manage sources of information and to work with a network of people who possessed the specialist knowledge needed so that the NIO could fill their own knowledge gaps Vision Better welfare better science Aims Facilitating dissemination of 3Rs knowledge Improving research quality experimental design Providing tailored support with the implementation of good practice in care and research One or more people to ensure that those dealing with animals have access to any information they need about the species ASPA guidance Necessary knowledge and experience Knowledge of ASPA and associated guidance Communication skills Management skills Production of briefings
Bulletin April 2018 19 Ability to read and critique scientific papers Knowledge of The animal scientific user community and their needs Sources of expertise in specific areas Relevant species Procedures of animal facilities such as working practices capacities etc Good practice in animal science and welfare Databases and information searching 3Rs The structure and culture of the organisation and animal science sector Key personal qualities Communicative Approachable Organised Willingness to engage with scientific literature Confident in dealing with people at all levels Authoritative supported by attitude position seniority management support Builds working relationships with a wide range of people Team player Recognition of limitations IT literate Proactive worker self motivating Self assessing and self critical constructively learning from past difficulties A strong personal network or contacts book The workshop allowed NIOs from very different organisations and backgrounds to consider the key components of the role and to gain a greater understanding of its potential in supporting science and welfare It became clear that this new role is closely connected with the HOLC role and that they both support those working under ASPA to ensure scientific research on animals is carried out to high standards with insight into relevant new methods techniques and refinements We would like to thank all the attendees for their input to the workshop and hope that this paper will support licensed establishments to define the NIO role more closely enabling their NIOs to provide better support to their researchers AWERB and other key stakeholders Bella Williams Understanding Animal Research Illustrations by David Lewis
20 April 2018 Bulletin Captive Care of Whiptail Lizards W hiptail lizards of the genus Aspidoscelis are native to the southwestern United States and northern Mexico They are small active terrestrial diurnal insectivorous lizards with a slender body and a long tail giving their common name of whiptail lizards Aspidoscelis neomexicanus common name Little Striped Whiptail Aspidoscelis neomexicanus common name New Mexico Whiptail the state lizard of New Mexico and one of the all female species
Bulletin April 2018 21 At the Stowers Institute in Kansas we have worked with these animals in captivity since 2003 housing the largest captive colony in the world a census reaching over 900 during some months The initial founders of each species were wild caught in New Mexico on permits issued by the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish and comprise less than 2 5 of the colony the remainder being produced in captivity One of the main reasons for studying these animals is that of approximately 50 species in the genus about one third are parthenogenetic This is a natural form of asexual reproduction where embryos develop without any input from a male In fact in the parthenogenetic species there are no males These species have arisen through cross hybridization of sympatric sexually reproducing species leading to new parthenogenetic species Housing To house them we initially invested in 5 ft 1 5 m diameter children s paddling pools We used sand as a naturalistic substrate since many species of these lizards are found in semi arid regions populated with mesquite creosote bushes and cacti We quickly learned that the lizards could move at surprising speed racing round and up the banks of the pools like a velodrome causing us to necessitate a quick solution of a second pool fixed in place upside down Room overview
22 April 2018 Bulletin Hatchling housing in tubs with the cage cards hanging on the side and an up close of the cage cards and associated photos for each animal
Bulletin April 2018 23 over the top of the first with the base removed Hatchling and juvenile animals are housed in 54 gallon 0 2 cubic meter tubs whilst some of the larger species were housed in home built wooden runs providing greater flight distances To provide the thermal gradient and the UV B needed for these diurnal lizards mercury vapour bulbs are used placed over one end of the enclosure with the cooler end being at room temperature This provides a range of approximately 27 C during the day dropping down to 21 C at night in the cool end to approximately 52 C directly under the basking spot s during the daylight hours only Shelter is provided in the form of cardboard hides placed throughout the thermal gradient and when not out and actively foraging or basking the lizards retreat to these or the egg laying tubes Water is available at all times in a shallow bowl placed at the cool end and enclosures are also misted lightly during routine daily cleaning Nutrition In the wild the lizards consume a wide variety of prey items including grasshoppers termites arachnids spiders and scorpions Lepidoptera Three females fighting over a waxworm
24 April 2018 Bulletin butterflies and moths ants millipedes and beetles In captivity we offer daily crickets with mealworms once a week to provide nutritional variety and enrichment On the rare occasions that termites are available they appear to be enjoyed immensely The crickets are gut loaded by being raised on a diet of powdered cricket food and dark leafy greens before being fed out to the lizards each morning The exact nutritional requirements are not known for many reptiles including this genus and an important part of the dietary offering is to provide nutritional supplements We have found a rotation of additional vitamins minerals and supplemental calcium offered every other day has allowed us to keep animals in good nutritional health status over many generations The supplements are offered in powder form and used to dust the crickets prior to feeding Breeding One of the goals of the research was to find out which species could crosshybridize to produce a new species compared to those that just led to sterile offspring much like a horse and a donkey can mate to produce a mule but the Egg laying with eggs
Bulletin April 2018 25 Laying eggs in a moist tube of sand mule is almost invariably sterile This led to housing of differing species together over time and many new hybrids have been created Two that have gone on to produce multiple generations parthenogenetically have now been recognized as new species in peer reviewed publications Whiptail lizards are oviparous or egg laying In the wild the eggs are laid in burrows which are used for both thermoregulation and protection Clutch size varies with species with the larger species laying larger clutches generally three to seven eggs is considered a normal clutch size No parental care of eggs or young exists in fact adults may eat juveniles if presented with the opportunity so animal size must be considered when selecting enclosure mates We provide PVC tubes filled with moist sand to allow burrowing behavior and provide a damp substrate for oviposition To prevent the eggs from desiccation in the high surrounding air temperatures the sand needs to be replaced or remoistened every few days this also provides an opportunity to collect newly laid eggs Eggs are incubated artificially on moist vermiculite in deli cups in an incubator set to a temperature of 28 C and 95 humidity Most species will hatch at approximately 60 days under these conditions however raising the temperature shortens the incubation time
26 April 2018 Bulletin To determine if any of the hatchlings are new hybrids they are all genotyped using microsatellite analysis A small sample is taken from the tail tip similar to the methodology used for genotyping mice Hatchlings are photographed for identification and housed on the same day as hatching Many of the species have distinct markings on their rear legs or dorsal surface that persist throughout their life and can be used for identification For the species where patterns tend to fade we use VIE visible implant elastomer a coloured subcutaneous silicone based implant or PIT passive integrated transponder tags Health Disease Whiptail lizards are very hardy and easily kept in captivity for many generations once the correct housing conditions have been established The two most common health issues encountered are dystocia An incubator full of deli cups of eggs incubating and bites Dystocia or difficult birth probably arises from a plentiful food source allowing lizards to produce eggs larger than they are capable of laying On many occasions these animals can be saved by aspiration of the egg allowing the lizard to pass the empty shell Bites often occur perhaps as a result of the proximity of the lizards and their live food to each other A toe might easily be mistaken for a passing cricket Infections are extremely rare and healing occurs rapidly Credit to the excellent reptile team at the Stowers Institute Rick Kupronis David Jewell Kristy Winter Christina Piraquive and Alex Muensch
Bulletin April 2018 27 Patron Professor Lord Naren Patel KT Chair of Trustees Professor Sir Richard Gardner FIAT Hon FRS Secretary to the Trust Ken Applebee OBE FIAT FRSB Trustees Stephen Barnett MSc Hon FRSB Jasmine Barley MSc FIAT Karen J Gardner AS ET News Registered Charity Number 113319 Registered Office 5 South Parade Summertown Oxford OX2 7JL West Middlesex does it again Many things come in sevens deadly sins wonders of the world Sisters cliffs in Sussex and stars Seven Sisters or Pleiades to name a few Now it is obvious we need to include the West Middlesex WM Branch s Technicians Symposium and Trade day Following previous years attendance at these days AS ET was again delighted to participate in the seventh meeting held in February organised by the team from the WM branch A change of venue enabled many of us to get our first glimpse of the prestigious Sir Francis Crick Institute and it is certainly impressive As with many Branches events such as trade days and scientific meetings and of course not forgetting the IAT Congress and other IAT courses and meetings the WM day is organised by volunteers from the Branch who are primarily Animal Technologists in most cases with full time jobs who have used their skills in providing the attendees with a cracking good meeting They even managed to lay on a Chelsea Pensioner in the form of David Hathorn President of the WM Branch who is now an in pensioner at the Royal Hospital Chelsea Congratulations everyone Following the successful formula developed over the previous six years there was a good mix of speakers and a wide range of trade stands as well as non profit organisations including UAR CLAST and of course ourselves Having a stand at the meeting allows AS ET to promote the work of the charity which is to advance education and promote excellence in the care and welfare of animals used in science primarily by providing bursaries to allow those working with animals used in science to further their education and training Not only are we able to encourage attendees to apply for bursaries it gives us an opportunity to recruit new AS ET supporters for as little as 2 a month you too can become a
28 April 2018 Bulletin supporter we can also explain the essay competitions we hold which enable technologists to attend IAT Congress or in some years the AALAS meeting in the USA Of course we also have the chance to catch up with past bursary recipients and greet old and hopefully new friends WM Branch Trade and Technician Day organising committee
Bulletin April 2018 29 Many of the speakers were young presenters although their limited experience did not show and all gave very slick performances It was encouraging to see a nearly full auditorium for most speakers with the few latecomers having difficulty in finding seats The WM branch in conjunction with Charles River and AS ET offers a prize to young speakers and I am delighted to report that Louis Kitchenham from The Sainsbury Wellcome Centre was the recipient of the award this year His presentation of the Phenotypes and Characteristics of Pole 4 Mice outlined a hiccough in the management of these mice and how in true Animal Technologist style he set about learning more about the mice and their requirements to ensure it did not happen again As well as Louis presentation dealing with mice and others on training staff developing technologists careers gnotobiotics and revolutionising oncology there were also presentations on identification in Xenopus laevis care of zebrafish and husbandry and uses of the short tailed laboratory opossum who said animal technology was just about rodents It is the intention that many of the presentations will be converted into articles for ATW IAT Journal or Bulletin Louis Kitchenham receiving his prize for the best young presenter
30 April 2018 Bulletin In addition to the young presenters there were other talks by more seasoned hands at presenting as well as a special lecture by Oliver Baker Head of Genome Editing at King s College who introduced CRISPR for custom mouse model generation Posters featured on the day and Dan Strawbridge also from The Sainsbury Wellcome Centre was awarded the best poster prize funded by the WM Branch for his poster on A 3Rs Vision to Refine Genotyping I do not know what the management at the Sainsbury Centre are doing to encourage their staff but it is obviously working Dan Strawbridge receiving the Best Poster prize Everyone we spoke to agreed that once again the organisers had delivered a thoroughly enjoyable day that was both educational and informative For those technologists that don t get the opportunity to attend IAT Congress we all recognise that someone must stay behind to look after the animals this is a chance to meet the trade enjoy learning something new and meet old friends as well as making a few new ones We look forward to seeing you all again next year
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32 April 2018 Bulletin What factors determine cage sizes for primates in the laboratories Use of primates in experimental procedures The use of Old World non human primates has been more common than the use of New World non human primates NHP throughout the period of 2007 to 2016 Old World primates that are predominately used for regulatory purposes are considered more relevant models for some human conditions Since 2013 for Old World primates separate breakdowns have been collected for cynomolgus macaques and rhesus macaques The use of Old World primates fell from 4 200 procedures in 2008 to 2 100 in 2011 Subsequently the figure rose to 3 500 in 2015 Since then the figure has fallen by 3 to 3 400 procedures in 2016 The number of procedures involving the use of New World primates rose from 370 in 2008 to 1 100 in 2010 Changing patterns of research have led to an overall decline in their use as seen by the numbers falling by 88 since 2010 to 130 procedures in 2014 there has since been a small increase to 200 procedures overall in 2016 This paper was written by H M Buchanan Smith M J Prescott and N J Cross and published in Animal Welfare 2004 13 s197 201 The aim of the paper is to compare characteristics of some commonly used primates whose weights overlap to illustrate important differences between them This is important as when the paper was written minimum cage sizes was base wholly on body weights In the introduction the authors explain that a wide range of primate species are used in research including prosimians New and Old World primates and apes all of which have considerable variations in physiology behaviour ecology and locomotion The paper continues to suggest that it is important to have minimum standards conforming to legal guidelines is no guarantee of meeting the needs of the species in terms of space The authors go on to suggest that it was not their intention to state that cage sizes should be made for the different primate species but to illustrate that no single factor such as body weight is sufficient to determine minimum cage size The paper goes on to explain the species comparisons The paper explains that marmosets and macaques are the most commonly used species in research and testing These are the main species the paper focusses on However the authors do state comparisons between species are difficult due to the fact that
Bulletin April 2018 33 there are few experimental studies that systematically describe behaviour reproduction and physiology in various sized cages Bodyweight and size The authors explain that in determining absolute cage sizes one important consideration should be that the animal is able to sit or stretch without any of its body parts touching the enclosure sides Bodyweight as the paper goes further to explain is clearly one factor that will give an indication of the space required it does not bear any direct relation to head body or tail length The paper presents data on bodyweights head and body lengths and tail lengths of six NHP species On the basis of the data presented the paper suggests that bodyweight alone is an inappropriate factor for minimum cage sizes body dimensions should also be taken into account especially in the housing of long tailed macaques Physiological and behavioural responses to cage size and novelty The paper suggests that increasing cage size and or complexity for marmosets and tamarins has been shown to boost exploratory and play activities and reduce stereotyped and stress related behaviour However the paper suggests the data is inconsistent for macaques The authors go on to explain that an animal s behaviour or physiology will change significantly when given a few extra cubic centimetres of dead space Where a significant increase in usable space has been provided for macaques a reduction in abnormal behaviour and an increase in the amount of complexity of normal behaviours have been seen Ecological and locomotor considerations In this section of the paper the authors explain that there is a positive relationship between natural home range size and the frequency of stereotypic behaviour performed in captivity At the time of the paper a study has not been conducted in NHPs it is known that they develop behavioural locomotor and self directed abnormalities if housed inadequately In assessing spatial requirements of NHPs consideration should be given to both horizontal and vertical dimensions of the cage to allow performance of species typical locomotor behaviour on or above the ground The paper goes on to explain the differences between species using different papers that have been published Age sex and individual characteristics This section of the paper states that suitable space allocations age sex and individual history are also important This is because juvenile animals are usually more active than adults and therefore require similar or greater space allowances Sex differences also exist in the amount of activity and play behaviour
34 April 2018 Bulletin In the Conclusions and animal welfare implications the paper states that all captive primates held in laboratories should be given extensive opportunities to satisfy their physical social and behavioural needs although an increase in cage space alone cannot satisfy these requirements The space must have adequate furnishings and complexity to prevent physiological disturbances and minimise stress Decisions concerning cage volume and furnishings should always be based on a thorough understanding of the needs of the species and individuals and not just calculated form the minimum cage volumes specified in legal guidelines Reviewer s thoughts When considering the amount of space it is important to understand the animal and animal dynamics If for example some animals are transported from a stable group and not housed in similar conditions with the existing group relationship then we see the animals undergo changes these changes are set by how the hierarchy is dismantled due to only some of the animals being transported Semi dominant animals may try to assert themselves with aggressive tendencies that may no longer be acceptable to those less dominant this can result in severe wounds such as torn skin appendage loss and contusions Additionally it is often the case that animals moved from discontinued breeding colonies into age related disease studies will be housed in less space moving from large colony groups consisting of more than 20 animals in spacious pens to trio or pair housing in smaller cages Wound treatment requiring sedation or anaesthesia can further compound issues as there is a need to remove for treatment Young animals that are housed in smaller groups prior to being transferred to another study will have dominant tendencies but these can be alleviated by segregation once housed in the new establishment Both the supplier and the receiver should discuss and understand housing protocols before animals are chosen for a study This can again be alleviated by the research team visiting the supplier prior to transferring animals in order to build a relationship with identified animals Cage furniture must be provided on a rotational basis the same enrichment every day becomes a part of the cage and not something new to investigate It must also be applicable to the space in smaller cages this could be a hazard for animals and staff It must be also applicable to the age younger animals may be more boisterous but older animals are not sedentary Space for most facilities with regards to NHPs is very much based on the absolute minimum This is usually a gang style system with the possible addition of a play cage
Bulletin April 2018 35 For the larger species such as rhesus and cynomolgus the main consideration is how the animals are moved without stressing them or placing staff at risk Gang cages can offer diversity in space design but overall they are still rectangles of space joined together and in no way mimic natural environment This restricts the ability of the animals to display natural behaviour they may be able to retreat away but only as far as caging height allows The factors of maximum height available the size of the housed group and the social standing of individuals all exert negative impacts on how we house NHPs There have been changes in how we design new facilities but many still have to work within the boundaries of existing unit design especially if working in multi species and multi discipline units Therefore we have a long way to go before we are able to feel comfortable with housing space for NHPs The key message that can be taken from this paper is that it is essential to take many aspects to take into account when selecting an enclosure with the best welfare aspects for NHPs The authors explain that the selection process should include more than just the guideline s use of body weight It is explained that along with age and sex the group size natural social groups and personality of the animals should also be taken into account Additionally tail length has a major role in cage choice Cages that encompass these factors and promote natural behaviours and therefore provide the best welfare should be used Cages allowing the NHPs with the most amount of free movement were preferred both vertically and horizontally In addition these cages allow the best reproductive rates The enrichment provided and availability of inside with outside space is dependent upon the strain Reference Buchanan Smith H M Prescott M J and Cross N J 2004 What factors determine cage sizes for primates in the laboratories Animal Welfare 13 s197 201 Reviewed by Matt Bilton and the IAT Welfare Group
36 April 2018 Bulletin Surrey Hampshire Sussex Branch AGM Report T he Annual General Meeting for the Branch was held on Wednesday 7th February 2018 in Windlesham Surrey With our original meeting cancelled due to the speaker being unavailable at the last minute and an anticipated poor turn out our AGM this year was held at our Treasurer Stuart Stevenson s residence in Windlesham Stuart kindly provided both the venue and a delicious buffet Thanks to Marc Lind for his efforts to organise the speaker and venue at Guildford University The AGM proceeded with a report from the Branch Secretary on the successful events of the last year including the well attended tour of the new cancer research facility at Southampton Hospital and the Ascot Ocktoberfest Beer festival This was followed by a short report from the Treasurer on our budget current funds standing at just over 1 900 There then followed the Election of Officers with the following elected Chair Secretary Treasurer Stuart Mackrell Fran Whitmore Stuart Stevenson Existing members Lesley Hughes Ian Milne Dan Harding Marc Lind and Rob Bond will continue Events to look forward to in 2018 include another RAT train trip in the summer Details to follow after Easter Lastly the Chair thanked Stuart for organising the venue and refreshments Lesley Hughes Branch Reporter
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Bulletin April 2018 39 Wellcome Trust stem cell s BSU away day extravaganza W e start our journey on the morning of 8th September Now the weather on this day can only be described as a mixed bag and similar to that of a drunken uni student on a Freshers night starting off ok then getting threatening then full on waterworks but ultimately finishing all happy chappies with sunshine and smiles The journey began after finishing our morning routines at the local Ed s Diner for breakfast The contenders for today s fun and games included Tegan Gemini Nick Katie Dean Adam Danilo Big Sam and me Sir Darren 3rd esquire otherwise known as DJ Jazzy The majority of people got a standard breakfast a few renegades got the breakfast muffin During breakfast Gemini whacked out her surprise quiz fun times for the family Using a pub quiz theme and with the promise of prizes and fun we were subjected to several general knowledge questions However it took me back to my GCSEs when picking multiple choice answers by using the traditional game of eenie meenie miny mo seemed like the best option As it turned out this served me better than during my GCSEs since I managed to come first and won some gin yay Also we all learnt some new facts like baboons can run at 30 mph so not only would it destroy you in a race but you d also have something wonderful to look at as it runs off in front of you After breakfast we headed off in quite frankly too many cars to Shepreth Wildlife Park By the time the bad weather really hit us my pre prepared and un laminated animal bingo sheets were the victim of unprovoked and vicious attacks by water rendering the incredibly fun and joyous game I had made pretty useless We persisted however and with true British grit carried on and pushed through the rain because we don t let a bit of torrential rain spoil our day The same cannot be said about the animals however who quite frankly were being spoil sports The lemurs were hiding in their island hut as were the marmosets the big cats were all inside sleeping and we never saw the pine martens There was apparently a wolf but to be fair they could have also told me there was a unicorn somewhere since you just couldn t see it The coatis were hiding in their tree but at least in Bunny Village there was one miserable looking drenched fluffy bunny under a bench hating its life which I think we can all agree is one of the most beautiful things in nature Other highlights included owls bats that made Katie cry my personal highlight of the day wallabies various bugs armadillos a caiman an animal called an
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Bulletin April 2018 41 agouti a sleeping tiger some meerkats a tortoise and some quite clearly dead frogs Overall the day was a laugh everyone had an excellent time and Shepreth Wildlife Park is great People should really visit there as they are only small but they work very hard for their animals and to be fair it is a decent price for a cool little day out especially if you are an animal person Thank you to Allentown for sponsoring the day and also to Gemini and Katie for organising it Breakfast with the lads
42 April 2018 Bulletin LadsOnTour This is our boss Just let that sink in BigSam
Bulletin April 2018 43 We don t actually know who this man is He just followed us around all day walking his unicorn CreepyUncleNick Getting all up involved in the bingo Reporter Darren Jessop DJ Jazzy
44 April 2018 Bulletin Dispatches Am I an Animal Technologist or an Animal Technician Technology 1 the application of practical or mechanical sciences to industry or commerce 2 the methods theory and practices governing such application Technologist n CCED Technician n 1 a person skilled in mechanical or industrial techniques or in a particular technical field 2 a person employed in a laboratory etc to do mechanical and practical work CCED So as a qualified professional which do you think you are and does it matter Well it does if one reads the two definitions according to the Collins Concise English Dictionary above A technician is a skilled worker who carries out prescribed work albeit possibly to an extremely high standard A technologist not only carries out such work but also is capable of understanding the methodology and theory behind the techniques they perform and with this additional knowledge is then capable of developing the technology in our case animal technology A classic example is the development and usage of modern IVC systems These were first designed by engineers but their ongoing development and their refined operational practices within the animal facility was via feedback from animal technologists Also are we not members of the Institute of Animal Technology IAT So let s refer to ourselves as Animal Technologists after all that s what we are
Bulletin April 2018 NIO Forum N amed Information Officers are required to find and provide information for those who request it As the role is a relatively new addition to British laboratory animal facilities some NIOs may find it challenging to uncover requested information expeditiously Below are some resources that NIOs may find useful in their investigations Scientists Center for Animal Welfare The American based group Scientists Centre for Animal Welfare SCAW focusses on animal welfare as an imperative for high quality scientific research The group is available to researchers as well as public outreach including school education and public relations It is mostly comprised of researchers who have developed different training workshops and conferences as well as various books available online as either a pdf or for purchase It also has an extensive list of relevant websites including American and international groups Any institutions that are able to send their staff to the US should have a look at their available current training workshops although there is a limitation on who can attend Anyone interested in public outreach especially to schoolchildren will find a treasure trove of resources including but not limited to posters videos and games They also run a newsletter with previous editions available online in their archive Anyone wishing to join SCAW and become a member can apply online To learn more about SCAW and to see what they can offer go to http www scaw com 45
Bulletin April 2018 DIARY Dates 16 17 April The Learning Curve NACWO course London Details from https www learningcurvedevelopment co uk workshops named personsworkshops named animal care andwelfare officer 16 27 April MRC Harwell Spring Workshops Details from www har mrc ac uk careers and training 18 April Tecniplast IVC Knowledge and skills refresher course England Details from info tecniplastuk com 26 April NW Branch Steve Moore Memorial Poster Prize Manchester Details nicky datesand com 26 27 April BCLAS Symposium 2018 Leige Belgium Details from http bclasorg webhosting be symposiu m 26 28 April Scand LAS 2018 Symposium Kristiansand Norway Details from http scandlas2018 mudah no index php 24 May LARN Meeting England Details homeofficeliaison pirbright ac uk 2 June Guide Dog Event North West Branch See page 37 5 7 June Fondazione Guido Bernardini Pathology of Fish Leiden Netherlands Details from http www fondazioneguidobernardini org en training_initiatives event_detail aspx IDEvent 110 IDEventType 5 ID EventSection 1 year 2018 13 15 June AFSTAL 44th Annual Conference Reims France Details from http www colloque afstal com 28 29 June Fondazione Guido Bernardini The three Rs in research project design a prerequisite for good science Italy http www fondazioneguidobernardini org en training_initiatives event_detail aspx IDEvent 112 IDEventType 5 ID EventSection 1 year 2018 Front cover Whiptail Hatchling by David Jewell 47