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Virtual fish could reduce animal testing
Image rainbow trout
Previously, the university has managed to form a ball of liver cells from rainbow trout.

Plymouth scientists hope to reduce testing on live fish

A virtual fish is being developed at Plymouth University with hopes of reducing the need to test on live animals.

Scientists believe the virtual fish could be useful for studying the risks of man-made chemicals in the environment. Leading the project, Professor Awadhesh Jha says traditionally, live animals are used for this.

"For ethical and legal reasons, there has been much emphasis on the use of cells, tissues and organs grown outside the body," he explains.

Plymouth scientists will look at how well the virtual fish compares to testing on a live animal. It is thought just a few live fish could generate enough cells for the amount of testing needed.

The project has been awarded a grant of £600,000 from the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, the Natural Environmental Research Council and pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca.

Previously, the university has managed to form a ball of liver cells from rainbow trout. Plymouth researchers say this ball gives a more accurate picture of how an animal's body would respond to a chemical in the environment, than cells grown in a laboratory.

Scientists will now work on developing the technique using cells from the gut and gills of fish. The model was developed by PhD student Matthew Baron, as part of a project led by Prof Jha.

"We have already demonstrated that using fish liver cells maintains basic biochemical functions, can metabolise environmentally relevant contaminants and therefore has the potential to replace whole animal tests," said Prof Jha.

"Since billions of cells from several different organs can be harvested from a single fish, it means that far fewer fish will be used in research, and those that are will not be used directly in experiments."

UK Government figures show nearly 59,000 live fish were used for research testing environmental pollutants in 2011. Strict government rules mean the number of products that will need testing globally could translate into millions of live animals in coming years.

The three-year project began this month and research will be conducted at Plymouth University in collaboration with AstraZeneca.

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Cold-water dip to raise funds for Vetlife

News Story 1
 The veterinary mental health charity Vetlife is inviting the veterinary community to join it for a sponsored cold-water dip.

The event will take place at Walpole Bay, Margate, on 17 May during Mental Health Awareness Week. Participants of all abilities can join in the challenge and are advised to bring a towel, a hot drink, a snack, and warm clothes to get changed into afterwards.

Those taking part are being asked to try to raise £100 each to support the work of the charity.

Details about how to take part can be found here. 

Click here for more...
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Bluetongue low vector period ends

In an update to its bluetongue guidance, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has announced that the seasonal low vector period for the disease has ended.

With winter over, Defra is planning for a possible increase in cases as midges become more active. It has warned that farms along the east coast of England from Norfolk to Kent, and along the south coast from Kent to Devon, are at highest risk from infected midges blown over from northern Europe.

Since the virus was detected in England in November 2023, there have been 126 confirmed cases. The most recent case to be confirmed was on 1 March 2024.

Farmers are asked to continue to frequently monitor their livestock and ensure their animals and land are registered with the Animal and Plant Health Agency.