Animal husbandry, research and welfare at the Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine

Laboratory animal husbandry provides the basis for a variety of research projects at BNITM to better understand infectious diseases. Without animal experiments, it is not possible to develop vaccines and drugs against these diseases yet. We have been trying for many years to reduce animal testing as much as possible and to establish alternative methods.

Up to 4,000 laboratory animals (mice, rats) are currently kept, cared for and bred on a total area of 707 m². A focus is on animal-friendly husbandry under strict hygienic conditions. In addition to the extensive care and feeding of the laboratory animals, the animal husbandry staff is actively involved in the planning and implementation of the experiments.

Together with other Leibniz Institutes and taking into account the recommendations of the Permanent Senate Commission on Animal Experimental Research of the German Research Foundation (see further information), we are working to reduce the number of animal experiments and to supplement and, at best, replace them with alternative methods.

Statement (Only in German) of the Alliance of Science Organisations on the amendment of the Animal Welfare Act (13 April 2021)

If you have any further questions about our animal experimental work, please feel free to contact our animal welfare officers.