Animal Facility

International Laboratory Animal Day on 24 April: Our employees in the field of animal care talk about their profession and everyday life

Animal House Team

As animal carers in an international team, we are all united by our love for animals. Every day, the animals’ welfare is our top priority, and it is precisely this passion that fosters a strong sense of camaraderie. Working alongside people from different countries brings new perspectives, experiences and ideas to our daily work. This diversity makes our working day vibrant and enriching.

Rita

Most zebrafish genes also occur in humans in a similar form. This makes them interesting for research. As fish can also feel pain, daily observation is just as important as with our rodents. As the fish are always moving when we look into the tank, this task is particularly challenging.

Martin

With our work in the animal house, we supported the scientists in their research. These results can be the starting point for the development of new therapeutic procedures.

Julia

I did my training here. What I like about my job is the responsibility for the health and well-being of the animals. I also enjoy working in a team with so many different nationalities.

Diana & Romina

We enjoy being animal carers and love the mice we look after with all our hearts.
We stand up for each other as a team and support each other. This brings fun to our everyday work.

Mouse

The mouse is a particularly suitable laboratory animal because its genetic makeup is largely comparable to that of humans and its behaviour has been extensively studied. This makes it valuable for medical research. Furthermore, genetic modifications can be introduced in a targeted and efficient manner. In modern laboratory animal facilities, environmental conditions are standardised whilst ensuring species-appropriate care, allowing the animals to express the full range of their natural behaviour.

Rats

As animal carers, we support research projects with great care and a clear focus on the animals’ health and well-being. We firmly believe that the best results are achieved when animals live stress-free lives that meet their needs and enjoy a trusting relationship with their carers.

Declaration of principle on animal research

In its declaration of principle on the subject of animal research, the Max Planck Society emphasises the indispensability of animal research for biomedical research, but also acknowledges the special responsibility of each individual scientist for the animals used in research and the ethical issues associated with experiments carried out on sentient beings. The gain in insight expected from an experiment must be weighed against the harm inflicted on animals – an evaluation for which there are no universally accepted standards.

In its White Paper, the Max Planck Society has adopted a series of measures designed to achieve the best possible compromise between the obligation to protect the animals used for research and the need to perform research with sentient beings in order to gain insights into the processes supporting the life of organisms. These measures include:

strengthening the culture of care for the animals; this is to be achieved through improved coordination of animal welfare within the MPG, while at the same time maintaining the highest quality of science
Further refinement and reduction of use animals in research - scientific insights should be used to reduce the number of experiments and minimize the potential harm inflicted on the animals
transparent presentation of animal research for the general public
research aimed at improving the implementation of the 3 R principle
research on the living conditions of research animals, their social behaviour, perception of pain, consciousness and their right for life
training of all employees working with animals in animal ethics