Biosensor development without animal testing
The development of robust and effective in vitro tests has been a long-term priority for European Union research programmes. Consequently there have been intensive efforts to replace animals in experimentation using alternative testing strategies. The EU-funded project ‘Biosensors based on membrane organisation to replace animal testing’ (BBMO) targeted the development and validation of alternative methods in drug screening and environmental control in order to avoid animal testing. During the first year of BBMO, five projects with numerous sub-projects were initiated. In most of the projects the partners were actively involved in establishing strong connections and initiating new collaborative projects. The five projects and their sub-projects were successful in achieving their objectives during the time period of BBMO. The new findings were disseminated to the scientific community through five scientific publications, whereas at least eight more are under preparation. Moreover, BBMO partners organised international conferences to spread the knowledge and enhance their integration into the consortium. The effective and productive integration and interaction of the BBMO partners initiated new collaborations that will expand the objectives of the project. Future prospective developments in membrane-based biosensing technology were thoroughly discussed. A general approach applicable to any biosensing system was initially validated and applied to replace animal testing. The expertise existing within BBMO coupled with knowledge regarding competencies and skills has led to the establishment of new collaborations and a firm basis for ongoing research.
