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Institute of Animal Technology Bulletin G G G Council Meeting Synopsis Andrew Blake Tribute Award AS ET G G G Branch News Situations Vacant Diary Dates Vol 53 No 5 May 2017

Bulletin Vol 53 No 5 May 2017 EDITOR Sarah Lane bulletineditor iat org uk ASSISTANT EDITOR Carole Wilson bulletinassistant iat org uk 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 July Bulletin 1st June The opinions expressed in the Bulletin do not necessarily reflect those of the Editor or the Institute CONTENTS March Council Meeting Synopsis 5 7 The Andrew Blake Tribute Award 10 12 AS ET 13 15 West of Scotland Mini Symposium Report 19 22 Branch News 23 29 Suppliers Register i xliv Situations Vacant 25 26 Diary Dates 27

Bulletin May 2017 5 Synopsis of the IAT March Council meeting 1st March 2017 IAT Council Election The Honorary Secretary reported that there had been a 27 return rate of voting papers for the Council elections of which 27 papers were spoilt because they were not signed The result will be announced at the AGM The Annual Report and the Annual Accounts have been loaded onto the IAT website so that all members and those attending can download the documents to pre read before the AGM takes place Animal Technology and Welfare The ATW Editor was delighted to announce that the winner of the Journal Article 2016 Award was Communicating the Culture of Care how to win friends and influence people by Tania Boden and Penny Hawkins Tania and Penny will attend Congress 2017 to receive their award Animal Welfare Group The AWG have drawn up job descriptions for the role of Chair and Secretary within the group The responsibility of the Animal Welfare Group will be to provide animal welfare information to the wider IAT membership with specific responsibilities of the Chair to include developing ideas regarding animal welfare create sub groups for different species provide Council with updates on the NACWO Exchange work closely with other animal welfare organisations source articles to publish in the IAT media and to attend animal welfare symposiums reporting actions back to Council Communications Group The IAT Merchandise is selling well Orders can be placed online via PayPal and items will be on sale at Congress 2017 Items of clothing were given to branches to be used as Quiz prizes and all members were entitled to claim a free IAT lanyard Tech Month Tech Month was launched for March with various competitions taking place It is hoped that workplaces will get on board with this initiative in future and that it can become an annual event IAT Branches Council were delighted that there has been interest expressed in starting up

Bulletin May 2017 7 the South West Branch once again Further details will be available as and when the Branch is re formed There will be another Youth Reps meeting in May Due to the success of the meetings it was decided that there will be two Youth meetings per annum in May and September Initiatives from previous Youth Reps meetings include a Youth Rep is presenting a poster at Congress on the new IAT Congress App running a competition at Congress in aid of AS ET and Megan Cooper Youth Rep for Surrey Hampshire Sussex Branch is making her debut platform presentation It is hoped these examples will encourage other Youth Reps to also get involved with the Institute and making presentations etc Congress 2017 Bookings for Congress 2017 are looking very good and the full delegate package has now sold out Trade Exhibition Space was sold out prior to Christmas with a waiting list of companies still wishing to attend Congress 2017 will see 16 Workshop sessions in total with 30 places available on each Following the feedback from 2016 advanced booking was available for 2017 with places being released for online booking over the preceding three months It was hoped this would avoid disappointment as previously some delegates were unable to attend Workshops NACWO Accreditation The IAT are developing an online Introductory NACWO Course assessment which it is hoped will be ready to roll out in the next three months or so This will ensure that all attendees on the Introductory NACWO Course irrespective of provider will undertake a similar level assessment helping to ensure consistency amongst the three providers Website The members section of the IAT website has been reviewed and much of the information is now open access Login is now local to any pages which require the reader to be an IAT member The new IAT Congress App is being trialled at Congress 2017 and is already proving very popular It will enable delegates to plan their time at Congress and will also allow trade exhibitors and workshop providers to capture delegate information from QR codes on the delegate badges The next Council meeting will take place during May 2017

10 May 2017 Bulletin The Andrew Blake Tribute Award T he use of animals in research currently plays a crucial role in the discovery and development of new medicines but The Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry ABPI and our members are committed to replacing reducing and refining the use of animals in research wherever possible This year the ABPI sponsored the Andrew Blake Tribute Award to recognise the important role that technical staff play in making welfare improvements for animals in research and to promote and disseminate this good practice to support an effective culture of care This guest commentary below originally appeared on the ABPI website and was authored by John Waters Mammalian Behaviour and Evolution Group Leahurst University of Liverpool and winner of the 2017 Andrew Blake Tribute Award View the original http www abpi org uk our work news 2017 Pages Award winning way to improve welfare for laboratory animals aspx Welfare of laboratory animals is of major importance to the bioscience sector and their animal technicians It is their obligation to make sure animals held in research establishments receive the highest standards of care But when new practices are identified how can we ensure that they are understood and introduced for the better of the animals That is what John Waters recent award winning work looked to address The Andrew Blake Tribute Award recognises animal technicians throughout the UK and their work in improving the already high standards of welfare The award is vital so that good welfare practices or improvements carried out by technicians are disseminated outside the industry for others to see their contribution to the welfare of animals within the UK Award winning way to improve welfare for laboratory animals Winning the award for 2017 is an absolute honour and privilege A technician s role is to provide animals with the best care and welfare possible and this is achieved every day by a group of dedicated individuals called animal branching technicians To be recognised as somebody who has worked to improve welfare of laboratory mice over the past 12 months is something I m very proud of My contribution to winning the award for 2017 is about the animals we care so much about and helping other technicians by showing how to carry out the new techniques with the minimum of disruption in such an important area of research

Bulletin May 2017 11 In 2010 funded by BBSRC researchers from Mammalian Behaviour and Evolution Group University of Liverpool published a paper entitled Taming Anxiety in Laboratory Mice This outlined the significant improvements to the welfare of laboratory mice that can be seen by avoiding the traditional tail handling method by using an alternative Picking up mice by the base of the tail has historically been accepted as the method of choice for handling mice but there has been an absence of any scientific data to substantiate this method of handling This has been passed down through generations of technicians without any thought as to the impact it has upon laboratory mice The findings of the study were that mice have high levels of anxiety when picked up by the tail By offering two alternative methods either cupping the mouse on an open hand or using a plastic tunnel the study was nationally recognised as work with the potential to improve the lives of millions of laboratory mice as well as leading to more reliable scientific data Animal technicians and technologists are responsible for the day to day care of animals in the laboratory and handling the mice on a daily basis The use of alternative methods to handle mice in the laboratory will only be of benefit if carried out correctly To ensure this the technicians need guidance from somebody who has implemented the methods recognised common mistakes made and could offer guidance on how to overcome any problems My work focussed on understanding the range of concerns and potential issues across a broad range of animal technicians and facilities and the provision of simple clear and practical advice to support implementation of the welfare improvements To understand the range of concerns and potential issues I organised a workshop on mouse handling at the Institute of Animal Technology Annual Congress 2012 In addition to implementing the new methods in my own local animal facility I conducted two small studies to gain some objective data on potential issues of concern I then helped to put together a tutorial on mouse handling both by providing the technician s perspective on practical handling issues and by filming appropriate video clips with associated commentary to

12 May 2017 Bulletin demonstrate best practice in different scenarios and how to avoid common problems that we had identified With valuable support from NC3Rs to provide a web based resource truly available to all nationally and internationally a tutorial is now hosted on the NC3Rs website Statistics gained from NC3Rs for the first six weeks since its launch show that the tutorial is already being used in a wide range of countries in addition to the UK Feedback from fellow technicians in the United States has further enhanced the hope that animals outside of the UK will also benefit from the non aversive methods of handling that have been developed The success of the tutorial based on how much it has been used and feedback from animal technicians has emphasised the importance of not just identifying new practices but in supporting the adoption of them Simple adjustments like the change of handling has already made a difference to mice throughout research establishments Eliminating picking mice up by the tail will lead to lower anxiety but on a more important note the mice will be more willing to interact with its handler Technicians can make this small alteration to their handling knowing that it has a positive effect on the animals in their care John Waters is the Named Animal Care and Welfare Officer at the Mammalian Behaviour and Evolution Group Leahurst University of Liverpool He started working with laboratory animals in 1990 when he became a trainee animal technician He has worked in many areas of research but has found behaviour and welfare the most interesting as you can learn a lot about animals by how they behave Application details to enter for the 2018 Andrew Blake Tribute Award will appear in the next issue of the Bulletin and on the IAT website

Bulletin May 2017 13 Another Student Success Applications may be made to AS ET for an award to attend scientific training and other related CPD meetings in the UK and overseas Awards may be applied for at any time of the year and applications should be sent to The Secretary by post or by email to contact as et org uk Criteria To be eligible for an award you must be employed in the care and welfare of animals used in science and the course you wish to follow must be connected with your work Amount of each award The maximum amount granted to each individual applicant will not normally exceed 500 or a sum agreed from time to time by the Board of Trustees Larger sums may be awarded for applications which benefit a number of participants To apply for a Bursary Award please go to the AS ET website http www animalsinscienceeducationtrust org uk bursaries and complete the bursary application form Many of you will be aware that successful bursary applicants have to write a report of their course Below is the report of Patrick Mason s BSc You will see how important your support of AS ET by fund raising is to students and how much we appreciate every pound raised AS ET Bursary Report from Patrick Mason BSc Hons University of Cardiff Firstly may I take this opportunity to thank AS ET for the financial support and consideration given to me that has allowed me to embark on and complete my BSc Hon degree This has been a long journey that started at Certificate level in 2004 and has culminated in a full degree in 2017

14 May 2017 Bulletin My degree has comprised of 4 modules taken over two years these were reflective learning professional practitioner inquiry planning and a large work based project which also incorporated an Oral presentation of my final project My chosen project was in the form of an experiment as this was something close to home for me and also as part of my work remit permitted me to carry it out to fruition The project was entitled An enquiry into how the Whitten effect can impact on an established breeding colony in a laboratory This consisted of setting up matings in a wild type colony with a group of animals exposed to the Whitten effect and another which was composed of animals that had not been exposed to the Whitten effect Animals were studied over two ten week periods with findings being recorded and presentation of the results and experiment in my dissertation This required substantial research and inquiry into my chosen subject and method and as an additional benefit enabled my gaining a greater knowledge into pheromonal effects on animals that can affect the same species in a positive and negative way This knowledge is something that I have passed onto researchers and technologists alike which has aided them with breeding of animals and problems associated with breeding in the laboratory My project and its results were written up with statistical analysis to substantiate my findings and my results suggested that my experiment was successful This has aided my development as an Animal Technologist and also as an inquirer i e someone who seeks answers to questions It has thus enabled me to help other technologists with their educational needs The whole of the Higher Education journey has been a long and arduous task but with each module completed and new knowledge gained it has let me become a more rounded and complete technologist with the confidence to help those that need help with their education and also to aid the researchers with new knowledge gained whilst on my various courses The degree programme will enable me to progress onto further Higher Education courses if I so desire but for the time being I want to digest and enjoy my achievement and reflect on this educational journey Ultimately I hope it permits me to be an example to my fellow technologists proving that with hard work and at any age anything is achievable if the desire and drive is there Once again this would not have been possible without your financial support and I am indebted to AS ET Many thanks and kind regards Patrick Mason BSc Hons

Bulletin May 2017 15 AS ET is a charity to advance education and promote excellence in the care and welfare of animals used in science Sponsors of AS ET are listed below and to find out more please visit the website www as et org uk

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Bulletin May 2017 19 West of Scotland AGM and Mini Symposium O n Friday 17th February 2017 around 24 Technicians and Technologists gathered at the University of Strathclyde for the AGM The committee was re elected en block but we also welcomed Dennis Duggan from University of Glasgow onto the Committee We discussed future events for 2017 with a trip to Chester Zoo being one of our options Following the council election this year there was also a discussion about the criteria to be a voting member of the IAT After the meeting finished I talked briefly about Technician Month which as you will all be aware was held in March I had Caring Career lanyards to give away and a branded hoodie and polo shirt Following the AGM we were privileged to have secured two excellent speakers the first of which was local Home Office Inspector Dr Norman Flynn whose talk was entitled Named Persons getting the right information The second was Professor Ken Paterson Strathclyde s AWERB chair and the former Chair of the Scottish Medicines Consortium whose talk was entitled The Dismal Scientist the price of everything the value of nothing Norman talked about the importance of good communication within a unit between the Scientists and the Technicians the value of Animal Technicians having an understanding of the research being undertaken and the need for the use of the animals helps to improve relationships He also spoke about the critical roles the Named Persons fulfil within the research environment He reminded us that we should all be aware of changes to the Housing Code of Practice which came into effect on the 1st January 2017 and that there would be up and coming changes with the ASPeL system Strathclyde s AWERB chair Ken Paterson then talked about his role on the Scottish Medicines Consortium They have the difficult job of deciding which new drugs are made available on the NHS He discussed the changing landscape and increasing pressures on resources An increasing ageing obese and physically inactive population with higher expectations of a pill for every ill He described the Health Technology Assessment tool that is used to help make these difficult decisions There are two main parameters that are measured G G quantity of life survival quality of life

Bulletin May 2017 21 Each is scored against information gained from the clinical trials This data is then put into complicated equations as indicated in the slide below The Actual Modelling Ken s view was this Value Assessment was probably a necessary evil and the principles of health economics are sound as it is clinically based Far from facile simple or all about price it aims to capture all benefits and true value Money wasted in NHS helps no one and deprives other patients of real benefits Health economists and friends are human they and their subject are not DISMAL The obligatory selfie thanks to Alastair Russell DBM Scotland

22 May 2017 Bulletin After the talks we had some wine and nibbles sponsored by the West of Scotland IAT Branch funds and a few of us then went on for a couple of drinks and a meal I wish to extend thanks to both speakers for an interesting and informative afternoon and for everyone for turning up Linda Horan Branch Reporter

Bulletin May 2017 23 Oxford IAT Quiz Night W ell it was that time of year again and the excitement was building for the Oxford Branch 7th annual Quiz night and the level of support was again very high We had 12 teams with over 80 people registered Unfortunately we had to change our venue at the last minute and we must say a big thank you to the staff at Rowley House in Oxford for their support and help Also a big thank you to Ross Millard our Treasurer who once again donned the title of Quiz Master for this event There were several rounds planned and the categories included Animal Noises Fake News Sport General Knowledge and the well loved Music Mash Up The teams all arrived by seven thirty grabbed a drink and sat down to a buffet dinner whilst the anticipation was building in the room

24 May 2017 Bulletin Just before the Quiz kicked off the teams were asked to choose their Joker round where the points could be doubled This is a gamble worth taking but you need to be sure you can score well on your chosen round The first few rounds went well for some teams and the Trump V ets took an early lead As the rounds progressed the finish for the top flight became incredibly close with a decider in the last round between Trump V ets and Always The Bridesmaid During the evening we had our usual raffle which the teams donated items for and we raised 140 00 After a tense last round the Trump V ets took the title of the 2017 winners and join the elite on the Shield Oxford Chairman Adrian Woodhouse presenting the winners shield to Trump V ets team from RedKite Vets Always The Bridesmaid came a very close second with just 1 point in it and the Grim Squeakers won the coveted wooden spoon Can I say a huge thank you to Datesand who sponsored this event and if it was not for the generosity of our sponsors these events would not be able to happen Also could I just thank the committee for their time and efforts that went into planning such a great event See you all next year Adrian Woodhouse Branch Reporter and Chair

Bulletin May 2017 DIARY Dates 15 17 May Pint of Science NC3Rs across the UK Details from www nc3rs org uk 1 June Closing date for applications for AAALAC Fellowship 7 June Tecniplast Foundation Course in Tecniplast IVC s Central UK Details from info tecniplastuk com 8 June Tecniplast IVC Knowledge and Skills Refresher Course Central UK Details from info tecniplastuk com 15 June AWERB UK Putting Ethics into the AWERB Central London Details from research animals rspca org uk 15 16 June NACWO Course Cambridge Details from info learningcurvedevelopment co uk 26 June 7 July International Course in Laboratory Animal Science Utrecht Details from las uu nl 30 June BRET Closing date for proposals Details from bretenquiries btinternet com 21 July West Middlesex River Thames Sundowner Cruise London Details from julie bee crick ac uk See page 17 31 July PMI European Technician 2017 Award Closing date for applications See page 4 6 September LASA 3Rs UFAW Planning and Implementing the 3Rs South of England Details from www lasa co uk meetings Cover photo Yellow Weaver Bird Ken Applebee 27