BfR ZEBET Anniversary

ZEBET - Centre for Documentation and Evaluation of Alternatives to Animal Experiments

The Centre for Documentation and Evaluation of Alternatives to Animal Experiments (ZEBET) was established in 1989. For now some twenty years ZEBET has actively contributed to promote and to ensure the implementation of the 3Rs principle described by William Russel and Rex Burch in 1959 into administrative and scientific practice. To celebrate the 20th Anniversary of ZEBET and the 50th Anniversary of the publication on “The Principles of Humane Experimental Technique” by Russell and Burch, a two-day conference will be held at BfR in Berlin on 26-27 October 2009. The aims of this symposium are to review the contribution of ZEBET in the fields of 3Rs during the past two decades, including national and international collaborations and to discuss the future of the 3Rs in the 21st century.

ZEBET FILM

Watch ZEBET alive!
A 20 minutes documentation provides
insights and background information
on Germany's National 3Rs Centre.

ZEBET BROSCHURE

Download the PDF document to get
a concise overview of ZEBET's activities
during the past 20 years in fostering
the 3Rs principle.

William Russell and Rex Burch

50 Years of “The Principles of Humane Experimental Technique”

In 1959 the two British scientists William Russell and Rex Burch coined the term of the "3Rs Principle". This principle encompasses all scientific methods which meet at least one of three requirements:

The method replaces animal experiments, or reduces the number of animals used in an experiment, or reduces the pain and suffering of the animals (refinement). During the last 50 years the principles have found their way into the regulations of many countries.

To honor the work of Russel and Burch ZEBET's symposium includes a review session on their concept and its global success.