Early-Career Researchers Advancing 21st Century Science

The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine,  Johns Hopkins University Center for Alternatives to Animal Testing (CAAT), and the Animal Protection Commissioner of Berlin are launching a new workshop series focused on animal-free new approach methods (NAMs) in research and testing.

Upcoming Workshop:

Workshop No. 2, Antibodies and Beyond: The Power of Animal-Free, Recombinant Antibodies

Date: April 9, 2025
Time: 10 AM ET/4 PM CET via zoom

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Workshop Summary

One of the most underestimated aspects of the 3R principles is the use of common laboratory reagents, such as antibodies, which cause the death of 1 million animals in the EU every year. Today's life sciences would be unrecognizable without the millions of available research antibody products. There are > 3.5 million antibody-based products on the market, > 99% of which are animal-derived (polyclonal, monoclonal, recombinant), while < 1% are animal-free antibodies. However, methods of development and production vary widely in their impact on animal welfare.

This workshop gives an introduction to antibodies and explains the most common terms used in relation to antibodies. What does mono- or polyclonal mean? How are these antibodies developed and how do animals play a role? How can animal-free antibodies be developed and what are their advantages and disadvantages?

Here, the phage display method is explained as one of the main methods used to develop animal-free antibodies. Application examples show the versatility of animal-free antibodies in their applicability. In addition, a small sensitization of which products and reagents in the daily laboratory routine may contain materials of animal origin will be presented.

About the Speaker

Dr. Wenzel is an expert in animal-free technologies, Co-Founder, and COO of the biotech company Abcalis GmbH. Since the early 2000s, she has gained extensive experience with diagnostic tests and 3D cell cultures and spheroids to replace animal tissue. She has developed animal-free antibodies against diptheria toxin by phage display that are currently under FDA review, perfected high-throughput methods for the functional testing of antibodies, and coinvented Multiclonal Antibodies, an animal-free replacement for polyclonal antibodies. She has received national and international recognition for her work, including the 1^st ECEAE prize for Animal-free Antibodies, the Lower Saxony Innovation Award, and the start-up award of the city of Braunschweig.

Past Workshops:

Workshop No. 1: Understanding Translatability and Crafting Competitive Grant Applications

Workshop No. 1 featured Dr. Jarrod Bailey, Director of Medical Research at the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, discussing how human-focused research provides greater clinical benefits, due to greater biological similarity and specificity of human-based methods and Dr. Angela Hvitved, Program Director at the Alternatives Research & Development Foundation, providing an overview of funding opportunities for nonanimal research methods and practical tips for crafting a strong proposal that is tailored to the target funding opportunity.

The ERA21 Journal Club meets at conferences and provides a forum for early-career scientists, undergraduate, master’s, and PhD students to meet and discuss relevant research articles on human-relevant biomedical research, toxicology, and policy.

Upcoming Meetings: 

At the Society of Toxicology Annual Meeting 

Date/Time: Wednesday March 19, 2025, 12:20 PM -1:20 PM 
Article: The Future of 3D Brain Cultures in Developmental Neurotoxicity Testing
Location: TBD

Upcoming Events:

A Biotechnology Showcase in Human-specific Nonanimal Research and Testing

This workshop at the American Association for the Advancement of Science Annual Meeting will showcase cutting-edge, human-specific models, like organ-chip technologies, that offer more precise, translatable, effective, and ethical means of investigation. Participants will learn about various human-focused approaches through live demonstrations, expert talks, and collaborative discussions, exploring the potential and practical applications of these advanced models. Featured presentations include: Emulate, InSphero, MIMETAS, MatTek, and the Wyss Institute at Harvard University.

Date: February 14, 2025
Time: 11:30 – 12:30 PM
Location: Hynes Convention Center, Boston, MA, Expo hall 621

Hesperos Technology for Toxicology Research: From Development to Approval

The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, the Johns Hopkins Center for Alternatives to Animal Testing, and Hesperos are partnering to host a free, hands-on workshop to showcase Hesperos technology and applications. Participants will tour the facility, hear from scientists working with the models, gain first-hand experience and hear from leaders working to advance human-specific nonanimal approaches. This event is limited to 20 participants.

Date: March 16, 2025
Time: 12:15 – 4:45 PM
Location: Hesperos, Inc.

Register