Laboratory Animal Science 2

3 ECTS credits
78 h study time

Offer 1 with catalog number 4022179DNR for all students in the 1st semester at a (D) Master - preliminary level.

Semester

1st semester

Enrollment based on exam contract

Impossible

Grading method

Grading (scale from 0 to 20)

Can retake in second session

Yes

Enrollment Requirements

Enrolling in ‘Laboratory Animal Science 2’ means that you simultaneously taken ‘Laboratory Animal Science 1’ or have successfully passed ‘Laboratory Animal Science 1’

Taught in

English

Faculty

Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy

Department

Basis (bio-) medische wetensch

Educational team

Karine Hellemans
Sophie Hernot (course titular)

Activities and contact hours

26 contact hours Lecture

Course Content

Laboratory Animal Science is a multidisciplinary field that covers different aspects encountered when working with laboratory animals. It focuses on the welfare and care of animals used in research, taking into account both animal- as well as experiment-related factors. Knowledge within the field of laboratory animal science will contribute to the reliability and reproducibility of animal experiments and learn the students how to handle laboratory animals in a responsible and respectful manner.

According to the Belgian legislation (RD of May 29th 2013) there are 4 levels of education that permit you to work with laboratory animals:

1) Elementary care of laboratory animals – minimum of 4 hrs of education in laboratory animal science

2) Specialised care of laboratory animals – minimum of 25 hrs of education in laboratory animal science

3) Active participants in animal experimentation – minimum of 40 hrs of education in laboratory animal science

4) Responsible for directing animal experiments (proefleider) - minimum of 80 hrs of education in laboratory animal science

Laboratory animal science is subdivided into 3 courses, that correspond to the 4 categories within the Belgian legislation:

Laboratory Animal Science 1: total of 25 hrs of education, corresponding to category 2 in the Belgian legislation - Specialised care of laboratory animals
Laboratory Animal Science 2: total of 40 hrs of education, corresponding to category 3 in the Belgian legislation - Active participants in animal experimentation
Laboratory Animal Science 3: total of 80 hrs of education, corresponding to category 4 in the Belgian legislation - Responsible for directing animal experiments

This series of courses is recognised by the overseeing government, Leefmilieu Brussels.

Within Laboratory Animal Science 2, students will get acquainted with the following subjects:

Legislation regarding laboratory animal experimentation including working principles of ethical committee and animal welfare body
Basic principles of laboratory animal ethics and the relevance in the current public debate on animal experimentation
Alternative methods
Basic principles of ethology
Reproduction and embryology in laboratory animal species
Most important diseases of different laboratory animal species
Zoonoses
Methodology in animal experimentation
Basic principles of surgery and sterility
Pain recognition and pain relief in laboratory animal species
The use of anesthetics and analgesics in different laboratory animal species

Practical:

Suturing techniques
Surgical techniques

Course material

Digital course material (Recommended) : Slides Teacher

Additional info

This course is recognised by the overseeing government, Leefmilieu Brussels. Passing the exam (min. 10/20) gives you permission to work with laboratory animals as defined by art. 32§5 of the RD May 29th 2013, category 3 – Active participants in animal experimentation.

To subscribe for this course, you must simultaneously subscribe for Laboratory animal science I. Or have passed Laboratory animal science I or an equivalent course.

Learning Outcomes

Algemene competenties

In art. 32§5 of the RD May 29th 2013 concerning the protection of animals used in experiments the Department of Animal Welfare stipulated the legal requirements that must be met to be allowed to work with laboratory animals. After following the course Laboratory Animal Science 2, students must:

Know the different strains and breeds of laboratory animals, as well as basic reproductive techniques
Have a thorough understanding of different classes of anesthetics and analgesics and understand their benefits and disadvantages in order to make an informed decision on the use of specific anesthetics and analgesics and combinations
Have a basic understanding of surgical techniques and sterility and be able to apply the knowledge in a practical setting
Have knowledge of the most prominent diseases within different laboratory animal species and how to recognize disease
Have an understanding of experimental set-up
Have basic knowledge of alternative methods
Know the basic principles of ethology and apply this knowledge within a practical setting
Know the basic principles of laboratory animal ethics and the relevance in the current public debate on animal experimentation
Have a basic knowledge of the working of the ethical committee
Be able to perform some basic suturing techniques

Grading

The final grade is composed based on the following categories:
Written Exam determines 75% of the final mark.
PRAC Lab Work determines 5% of the final mark.
SELF Paper determines 20% of the final mark.

Within the Written Exam category, the following assignments need to be completed:

Written exam with a relative weight of 1 which comprises 75% of the final mark.

Note: Written exam: combination of open questions and multiple choice

Within the PRAC Lab Work category, the following assignments need to be completed:

Practical session with a relative weight of 1 which comprises 5% of the final mark.

Note: In this practical session, students learn surgical principles as well as the principles of sterility and some suturing techniques

Within the SELF Paper category, the following assignments need to be completed:

Case study with a relative weight of 1 which comprises 20% of the final mark.

Note: In the case study, students have to discuss a case concerning a lab animal topic relevant to LAS2

Additional info regarding evaluation

Examination will be at the end of the course (January exams) by means of a written exam (75% of the total score). THe exam will consist of a combination of open questions and multiple choice questions (for the correction of multiple choice questions, higher pass mark will be applied). Retake of the written exam is possible in the second examination period.

During the course, 1 practical session will be organized, with mandatory attendance. Preparation, attendance and active participation during the practical session will be evaluated and included into the endpoint (5% of the total score). Absence on the practical session will result in a 0 for this part (5% of the total score). This part of the exam cannot be retaken in the second examination period. The partial result will be transferred to the second examination period.

Furthermore, students will submit a case-study at the end of the course, which will also be evaluated and included into the endpoint (20% of the total score).

A mark of less than 8/20 for either the written exam or the case-study will result in a maximum score of 9/20 for the final mark. Exemptions will be given for each of the two examinations when the score is at least 10/20. If a student that retakes the written exam and who received a 10/20 or higher for the case-study wishes to rewrite the case-study, an e-mail has to be send to the teacher, the latest the 1st of July.

If Laboratory animal science I and II are taken up simultaneously, they can only receive a credit for Laboratory animal science II if they pass laboratory animal science I

Allowed unsatisfactory mark

The supplementary Teaching and Examination Regulations of your faculty stipulate whether an allowed unsatisfactory mark for this programme unit is permitted.

Academic context