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WBVR bioengineers Romy Dresken and Sophie van Oort win award for alternatives to animal testing

Published on
November 7, 2024

Romy Dresken and Sophie van Oort were awarded at the Biotechnical Days in Den Bosch for their contribution to developing alternatives to animal testing. Both biotechnicians work at Wageningen Bioveterinary Research (WBVR, part of Wageningen University & Research) and collaborate on research into respiratory viruses based on complex cell systems. This research contributes to replacing animal testing.

‘Our colleagues Romy Dresken and Sophie van Oort have been essential in developing the complex cell systems for farm animals,’ said senior researcher Rik de Swart, responsible for the relevant research at WBVR. The complex cell culture models are used to study veterinary respiratory tract infections, among other things. De Swart praises the long-term involvement of both colleagues and their proactive attitude that led to the testing of their own ideas. ‘Their contribution to this research has made our work successful,’ he said. Because of their significance for this alternative to animal testing, De Swart, together with his colleague Nora Gerhards, nominated both analysts to the Committee on Price Alternatives to Animal Testing (CPAD).

Romy Dresken examines an image of one of the cell cultures in the laboratory.
Romy Dresken examines an image of one of the cell cultures in the laboratory.

Alternatives

CPAD is an initiative of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security and Nature (LVVN). The award is given to laboratory animal keepers, biotechnicians or analysts who make an outstanding contribution to the (potential for) reduction, replacement or refinement in laboratory animal use for research or education. The CPAD jury led by Professor Coenraad Hendriksen endorsed the significance of Dresken and Van Oort and rewarded them with a sum of 1250 euros.

Presentation

The award was presented on 5 November 2024 during the Biotechnical Days in Den Bosch by Henk Jan Ormel, chairman of the Central Committee on Animal Testing. Ormel has worked as a veterinarian, Member of Parliament and had been a member of the European Parliament. He emphasized the important role of biotechnicians in working with laboratory animals, praised their great commitment to animal welfare and called on those present in the room to be proud of their work. He endorsed the goal of eventually making animal testing unnecessary, but also expressed the expectation that this is not (yet) feasible in the short term.

CPAD chair Henk Jan Ormel presents the CPAD award to Sophie van Oort and Romy Dreskens (right) during the biotechnology days.
CPAD chair Henk Jan Ormel presents the CPAD award to Sophie van Oort and Romy Dreskens (right) during the biotechnology days.

Model

De Swart and his team developed an animal-free method to study virus without genetic changes. This model for veterinary respiratory viruses has been used to study, among other things, the susceptibility of the airway epithelium of cows to infection with the avian flu virus. The development of this expertise was made possible partly thanks to support from two investment programs of Wageningen University & Research: Next Level Animal Science (NLAS) and Early Recognition and Rapid Action in Zoonotic Emergencies (ERRAZE@WUR).