The 26th annual CLASA conference, held in April 2025, brought together professionals to discuss current issues related to the breeding and use of laboratory animals in scientific research. Key topics included the application of the 3Rs principles (Replacement, Reduction, and Refinement), advancements in animal health monitoring, and the development and potential of alternative in vitro methods.
Members of the TEATIME also participated in the conference.
Veronika Borbélyová presented findings from her research on the role of sex hormones in modulating social behavior in mice, using data obtained from advanced home cage monitoring systems.
Aleksandra Bartelik and Anna Kiryk contributed with a poster titled “HomeCage Monitoring – Improving Reproducibility and Animal Welfare in Scientific Research.”
On March 3rd and 4th, 2025, TEATIME members gathered for an inspiring and collaborative two-day meeting filled with thought-provoking sessions and hands-on working sessions. From pioneering discussions on home-cage monitoring (HCM) systems to future strategies for animal research, the meeting marked a significant step forward for our community.
The event kicked off with warm greetings from Angelo Basteris, our COST Scientific Officer. The first sessions focused on developing an HCM ethogram and ontology. We also discussed expanding TheBehaviourForum.org, sharing ideas how the platform could sustain beyond TEATIME to promote webinars and collaboration. We also had a session on software tools for analyzing HCM data. Delegates shared their experiences, creating a valuable catalog of tools for the community. The afternoon’s discussions on strategic foresight and automation in animal research set the tone for how TEATIME can continue shaping the future of animal research while advancing animal welfare. We wrapped up the first day with a creative session on producing a TEATIME promotional video, where everyone pitched ideas and helped bring our community’s work to life.
Day two started with a session on sex differences in research, followed by an insightful discussion on the Animal Behaviour Open Research initiative. We also brainstormed ideas for TEATIME’s future webinars, training schools, and sustainability efforts. During the session on stakeholder communication, participants were identifying key stakeholders and the best ways to engage them moving forward. This led to deep discussions in breakout groups, creating a roadmap for how to strengthen our outreach.
As the meeting wrapped up, the energy was high. We reflected on the progress we had made and looked forward to the challenges and opportunities ahead. Breakout groups dig well into critical topics like data analysis innovations and the future of TEATIME training, ensuring we continue evolving and meeting the needs of animal research. The two days were a testament to the power of collaboration. Our team is more united than ever, and we can’t wait to continue pushing the boundaries of animal research and welfare together.
Why is communicating animal research important, and how can we address its challenges? These were key topics at the TEATIME webinar on animal research communication, held on January 28, 2025. The event was organized by Maša Čater, PhD, leader of the TEATIME Communication and Dissemination working group, as part of a 2024 virtual mobility grant. The webinar garnered overwhelming interest, attracting 354 attendees from around the world. The largest group of participants came from Germany, followed by France, Slovenia, Portugal, Italy, the United Kingdom, Mexico, Canada, and others (Figure 1). The webinar featured a diverse and multinational lineup of speakers, covering a wide range of perspectives on animal research communication.
Nuno H. Franco from i3S (Portugal) provided a historical overview of the social acceptability of animal research. Kirk Leech, Director of EARA (UK), highlighted the importance of transparent communication in this field. Susanne Diederich from the German Primate Center (Germany) presented successful case studies demonstrating effective communication strategies. The challenges of communicating animal research were addressed by three experts. Monique Havermans from EARA (Netherlands) explained how transparency agreements operate across different countries. Susanne Diederich expanded on strategies to motivate employees to engage in communication efforts and illustrated how transparency levels vary between institutions. Roman Stilling from Tierversuche verstehen (Germany) focused on the goals of communication initiatives, emphasizing transparency, openness, and the expected short- and long-term impact of such efforts. Maša Čater from the University of Ljubljana (Slovenia) provided insights into effective communication strategies across different channels, presenting the general principles of successful communication. Bob Tolliday from EARA (UK) followed with a discussion on how well-crafted website content can enhance public engagement and improve communication about animal research. The final section focused on crafting a compelling narrative from our research stories, featuring two insightful speakers. Damien Huzard from Neuronautix (France) captivated us with the power of storytelling in science, while Nuno Goncalves from EARA (Portugal) shared valuable strategies for enhancing our non-technical summary writing.
In conclusion, the animal research communication webinar provided invaluable insights into effectively sharing the story of our research with diverse audiences. From harnessing the art of storytelling to refining our non-technical summaries, the sessions offered practical tools and strategies that can significantly enhance how we engage with the public, policymakers, and the broader scientific community. By mastering these communication skills, we can help foster a greater understanding of the vital role animal research plays in advancing science and improving lives. As we continue to push the boundaries of discovery, these lessons will guide us in ensuring that our research reaches its full potential in both impact and accessibility.
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The recent Young Researcher Workshop was organised by the COST Action 20135 TEATIME and hosted by Institute of Biomedicine and Translational Medicine, University of Tartu, Estonia (https://biomeditsiin.ut.ee/en). It was significant in fostering collaboration and knowledge exchange among emerging scientists. With 31 participants from 14 countries, the diverse lineup of experts was invited, including both TEATIME members and external specialists. This workshop provided a unique platform for young researchers to share their experiences and insights in a supportive, home-like environment.
The workshop agenda featured a wide range of scientific topics, with plenary lectures that addressed various aspects of human diseases and the translational use of laboratory rodents. Key discussions revolved around themes such as ageing and disease biomarkers, where researchers examined how animal behaviour can serve as indicators in the study of ageing. Participants explored the effects of atypical antidepressants on behaviour related to chronic early life stress, emphasizing the need to understand psychological resilience. They also discussed the side effects of the new anti-obesity drug, along with preliminary insights into rodent models for Wolfram syndrome, setting the stage for future research opportunities
The first day of the workshop was exceptionally productive, by engaging discussions that continued even during coffee breaks and lunch. This vibrant exchange of ideas not only enriched the participants’ experiences but also fostered networking opportunities that could lead to future collaborations. As the day concluded, attendees gathered for a delightful dinner in a cosy restaurant. The enthusiasm of the organisers contributed to a warm and inviting atmosphere, allowing participants to reflect on the day’s discussions and forge deeper connections.
On Day 2, the workshop shifted focus to interactive sessions centred around use of various home-cage monitoring systems. Participants shared their experience and explored obstacles and solutions in using technology for automated behavioural assessment. These discussions were enriched by excellent talks from experts emphasizing the importance of animal welfare, a critical aspect of contemporary research. One of the highlights of the day was the introduction of “TheBehaviourForum” to new participants, encouraging them to explore the platform to better understand animal behavior and underscoring the essential role of behavioral studies in advancing scientific knowledge. Another key discussion revolved around the opportunities and future possibilities for young researchers in TEATIME. This session sparked enthusiasm among participants, encouraging them to envision their roles and contributions to the organisation moving forward. The day concluded with a beautiful walking tour in Tartu Old Town and Toome Hill, where attendees could witness the rich history and culture of the European Capital of Culture for 2024.
TEATIME invited 41 experts from 13 countries to the COST headquarter in Brussels for scientific exchange and intense discussions. In recent years, we have observed that application of home cage monitoring is growing rapidly. There are now a variety of tools and applications that can already be used to track animal activity and even analyze their behavior. It became clear early on, in fact when writing the application for TEATIME, that home cage monitoring carries a huge potential for improving animal welfare.
Many of the invited researchers were already part of TEATIME, but a whole range of external experts were also involved. This was very beneficial, not only because it allows us to spread our message further, but also because it helps us to think outside the box and incorporate these perspectives into our current and future endeavors.
The overarching theme of the meeting was animal welfare and how home cage monitoring can be used to measure and improve it. We heard talks about a variety of biomarkers that can be used to automatically assess animal welfare. Beyond complex behaviors that sometimes may still require manual annotation, some of the existing systems can already measure body weight, temperature changes, respiratory rate, and urination to name just a few. But even the more complex behaviors and bodily signs included in traditional score and care sheets are subject to automatized assessment using deep learning-based solutions developed for data from video surveillance. Interestingly, we were taught that you can actually learn a lot from years of experience in automated behavioral observation of larger animals such as pigs and cattle.
The second day of the meeting was dedicated to data. Even if the last sentence says it all, here are a few teasers: Our data must not only be collected but also named, sorted, stored, managed, provided with metadata and preferably handled according to the FAIR principles (https://www.go-fair.org/fair-principles). If we can really get this right and manage to mine all the data treasures from the data swamp, then we truly would have a lot more time for a real tea time.
Bi-annual conference of the Federation of European Neuroscience Societies (FENS) took place on 25-29 June 2024 in Vienna, Austria. The FENS Forum 2024 was attended by ~8000 participants, representing all diversity of neuroscience research from all over the world.
Two years ago in Paris, the COST Action TEATIME introduced itself to the neuroscience community. Our social event there was attended by less than 50 people. Since then, the Action has gained momentum and visibility with several tangible outcomes achieved and we were happy that FENS accepted our proposal for another networking event in 2024, with a focus on our online discussion forum, www.TheBehaviourForum.org. This forum was launched a year ago with a goal to develop a platform for sharing information on behavioral research in laboratory animals. It includes discussions around experimental protocols, research equipment, data interpretation, animal welfare, training opportunities, conferences, job announcement and more (https://www.cost-teatime.org/about/thebehaviourforum/). The social event in Vienna aimed at promoting the use of this resource by the scientific community, attracting new active contributors, and encouraging exchange among attendees. Thanks to the activity of TEATIME members in organizing webinars, training schools, attending conferences with talks and posters, and publishing papers promoting and advocating the novel technology and best practice in monitoring the laboratory animals we have expanded the network substantially and at 7 pm on July 25 the room was fully packed with more than 150 people!
Christophe Lamy (University of Geneva, Switzerland) kicked off by informing the audience about the COST Action TEATIME (https://www.cost-teatime.org/). He was followed by Otto Kalliokoski (University of Copenhagen, Denmark) who gave a brief insight to the BehaviourForum – presenting the interface, the categories and discussion topics, with practical notes on how to get started and engaged in the discussions. Finally, Hamid Taghipourbibalan (The Arctic University of Norway in Tromso) shared his experience from two special tools that COST Actions offer for young researchers – training school and short-term scientific mission. Hamid also gave insight to his own research, where home-cage monitoring is applied in studying how the brain controls appetite and food intake.
The presentations were followed by lively informal networking that didn’t stop until the doors were closed and crowd was forced to leave the rooms. Clearly, it was a place for meeting other members of the Action, many participants of the TEATIME schools showed up and brought their colleagues along – it also meant that there was a lot to share about the basic principles of COST Actions (openness – it’s never too late to join, inclusiveness – promoting geographical diversity and gender equity, opportunities for young researchers for training and career development). Throughout the FENS conference (where several of our members presented their posters, and industrial partners were present at their exhibition booths), it became quite clear that there is still a lot to do in promoting and applying home-cage monitoring as a method to collect more data for describing and understanding the animal behaviour and physiology, at the same time ensuring good animal welfare. Also, dialogue and connections between laboratory animal scientists, data scientists and neuroscientists need to be strengthened.
It was indeed a great meeting of old friends and colleagues, but also making new connections and keeping TEATIME spirit high!
The second Advanced Training School took place in June 2024 in Berlin at the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR). Out of 60 applicants, 22 young scientists from 13 European countries were invited to learn more about the use of home cage based technologies to monitor rodents in research. The students’ participation was fully funded by COST.
The various presentations focused on ways to improve the standardisation and reproducibility of behavioural testing. In addition to commercially available home cage based set-ups, self-developed set-ups were presented and examples of their use were given. The importance of home cage testing for animal welfare was also discussed.
The options for building self-made systems or replicating existing ones are becoming increasingly diverse. Therefore, a workshop was held with a very simple example of how to build a simple prototype to measure activity in the home cage. Participants were guided through the building instructions step by step, so that by the end everyone had their own small device. The workshop was designed to give participants a first experience of building their own devices and to overcome any fears they might have.
Interacting and networking with each other and the experts was an important part of the Training School. Many opportunities were provided for this, including breaks, lunches and the various evening events.
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In celebration of International Women’s Day 2024, we are pleased to share with you insights of some of the amazing female researchers in our Action
Every year International Women’s Day is an excellent opportunity to hold on for a moment and to reflect on the specific contributions of women to our societies and our well-being, and to potentially look for role models. This year, we @COST-TEATIME asked the marvellous female scientists in the leadership of our Action what drove them to pursue a career in science, what motivates them and what they gained so far from the participation in the leadership of a COST Action. We are very happy about the responses we got and think they pretty much reflect the science-driven and collaborative spirit we perceive within our Action. Take a look at their statements and see for yourself!
