News

Published: 20 August 2026

Utrecht initiatives champion animal-free research – and rely on DAAE databases

Utrecht University is currently demonstrating just how far genuine political will can take a country: at the 3Rs Centre Utrecht (3RCU), two dedicated programmes are actively helping researchers make the switch to animal-free methods in practice. Doctors Against Animal Experiments (DAAE) took part in a round-table meeting at the centre in July and was impressed – not least because DAAE’s own databases, the NAT Database and NATworks, are already firmly embedded in the day-to-day practice in the Netherlands. The free, cross-border support offered by the Suppo3Rt helpdesk is equally compelling: it connects researchers worldwide with international experts and tailor-made solutions for animal-free research.

At the invitation of 3RCU, representatives of seven animal protection organisations from several European countries – including DAAE – met in Utrecht in July with staff from 3RCU and the Animal Welfare Officer of Utrecht University to explore opportunities for collaboration. Remarkably, although the centre’s name still refers to the classical “3Rs”*, the institution clearly positions itself towards Replacement – the full substitution of animal experiments. Two particularly promising initiatives were presented during the meeting.

The Suppo3Rt initiative is a dedicated support desk that guides researchers at Utrecht University and the University Medical Centre Utrecht step by step in replacing animal experiments with animal-free methods (1). Anyone wishing to apply for an animal experiment must submit, in addition to the standard application, a separate form documenting that they have carried out a systematic search for animal-free methods. This is where DAAE’s databases of non-animal methods and companies – the NAT-Database and NATworks – come into play.

Each submission is reviewed individually. Researchers receive concrete feedback and are then offered hands-on support in identifying animal-free methods that could partially or fully replace the planned animal experiments. Where necessary, the support desk brokers contacts with international experts in animal-free research who, under confidentiality agreements, work out specific solution proposals. The service is free of charge and also available to researchers outside the Netherlands. DAAE strongly encourages scientists in Germany to take advantage of this opportunity and to contact Suppo3Rt directly with questions about animal-free methods.

The second initiative, “Invisible Animal Use”, addresses a topic that has so far barely featured in public debate: animal-derived reagents such as fetal calf serum (FCS) and animal-based cell matrices (e.g. Matrigel). These reagents are widely used in both animal experiments and animal-free research and are associated with considerable animal suffering (2). The 3RCU has already published two databases listing animal-free alternatives to FCS and cell matrices and has also documented the consumption of these reagents at Utrecht University and the University Medical Centre Utrecht since 2015.

The figures are striking: every year, around 795 litres of FCS and 9.8 litres of Matrigel are used there – corresponding to approximately 1,600 calves and 2,000 mice that endured extreme suffering and were killed to obtain these reagents. None of these animals appear in official national statistics. If they were added to the approximately 12,600 animals used for experiments in the Netherlands in 2024, this would represent an increase of around 30 percent – accompanied by a clear shift towards more severe levels of suffering, since all of these animals suffer very severely. On this basis, 3RCU is now planning further measures to accelerate the transition to animal-free products.

The comparison with Germany is stark: while in Utrecht mandatory forms, publicly available consumption data and a support desk with direct expert access have long been standard practice, Germany still lacks a binding roadmap for phasing out animal experiments and animal-derived materials.

DAAE calls on the German Federal Government to follow the Dutch example and finally present a concrete plan that legally anchors the phase-out of animal experiments and the use of animal-derived reagents in biomedical research. The Netherlands show that it is possible – if the political will is there.

*3R = Replacement, Reduction, Refinement – replacing, reducing and refining animal experiments

References

1. Support desk for access to expertise on NAMs, Utrecht University, accessed on 19.08.2026.
2. Invisible animal use, Utrecht University, accessed on 19.08.2026.