World-changing events took place between the 2019 and 2022 FELASA congresses. The challenges imposed by the Covid-19 pandemic highlighted the importance of animal research, and were an unavoidable issue discussed at FELASA2022. However, it was the future of laboratory animal science, medicine, and education that took central stage ─ a future that will rely on improved ‘Communication’ between all stakeholders

Transporting lab rodents is increasingly complex, owing to a variety of global trends and current constraints. Best practices and innovative approaches can help to ensure lab animals reach their destination safely and in a timely way. This Comment reviews those challenges and best practices through the lab animal transportation experiences of Taconic Biosciences, a global provider of rodent models

Single nucleotide polymorphisms in the FKBP5 gene influence the risk of developing stress-related disorders, but the underlying processes are not fully understood. Animal models offer a possibility to investigate the influence of FKBP5 gene variants on the stress response system.

Sociocultural changes in the human–animal relationship have led to increasing demands for animal welfare in biomedical research. The 3R concept is the basis for bringing this demand into practice: Replace animal experiments with alternatives where possible, Reduce the number of animals used to a scientifically justified minimum and Refine the procedure to minimize animal harm. The generation of gene-modified

New insights into gut-brain axis and cognition function show that accumulation of Caudovirales bacteriophages in the gut microbiota is associated with improved executive function and memory.

Oxidative stress in spermatozoa is a major contributor to male subfertility, which makes it an informed choice to generate animal models of male subfertility with targeted modifications of the antioxidant systems. However, the critical male germ cell-specific antioxidant mechanisms have not been well defined yet. Here we identify LanCL1 as a major male germ cell-specific antioxidant gene, reduced expression

Cartilage regeneration is a priority in medicine for the treatment of osteoarthritis and isolated cartilage defects. Several molecules with potential for cartilage regeneration are under investigation. Unfortunately, in vitro chondrogenesis assays do not always predict the stability of the newly formed cartilage in vivo. Therefore, there is a need for a stringent, quantifiable assay to assess in vivo