Activities and News
- 3R-US Network
Focus on cancer - School for Talents “MEDTechBIO”
- 3R Lecture Series
Partners
- 3R Center Tübingen
- 3R-Center Rhein-Neckar
- CAAT-Europe
The Center for Alternatives to Animal Testing in Europe (CAAT-Europe) at the University of Konstanz - 3R Competence Network NRW
- 3R-SMART
Information and Training platform for Alternative Methods to Animal Research (German)
Our Team
- Contact
Contact - Team
- Open Positions
JoinUS - 3R Lab Open Positions
Our mission: 3R in Stuttgart
3R-BioMedicUS brings together experts across science and engineering to advance 3R (Reduce, Refine, Replace) non-animal methodologies for biomedical research. We develop patient predictive models that more accurately represent the human in settings where animal models are still lacking. Within our interdisciplinary team, we approach the 3Rs from molecular and cellular levels all the way to the organ level.
What we do: ex vivo, de novo and in silico
Our 3R research focuses around the unique skills of our top researchers, to innovate alternative models and methods that complement, reduce or replace animal experiments.
Ex vivo – performing experiments or measurements in or on tissue removed from an organism with minimal alteration of natural conditions, contributing both to reduction of animals used in pre-clinical studies, as well as allowing direct testing on human tissue samples.
De novo – designing and constructing tissue ”anew”, in a so-called “bottom-up” approach, starting with small structural/functional units such as different cell types added onto custom-designed biological scaffolds, aiming to recapitulate tissue composition and architecture.
In silico – computational patient models built upon existing literature and experimental data, that allow scientists to model disease responses and to run complex simulations of research experiments.
Our Research
We pursue the 3Rs from different angles using a wide range of methods. These include the high precision bio-printing of 3D tissue models, or plant-derived "green vessels" colonized with human cells to model the vasculature of patients. We also design synthetic organ phantoms as training tools for surgical interventions. With our tumor, neuromuscular or brain “tissue-in-a-dish” platforms we can study normal physiological as well as disease-specific processes and can use them to test drugs directly on human material as an alternative to animal experiments.
Moreover, our team develops novel biotherapeutics and drug delivery methods that are tested in our versatile patient-predictive models. Our experts in modeling and simulation create mathematical patient models to predict drug responses and to obtain a detailed understanding of specific biological processes.
Teaching and Training
Are you an early career researcher and would like to learn more about our 3R research?
Join our upcoming 3R-focused lecture series, participate in one of our workshops or gain hands-on experience by joining the School for Talents “MEDtechBIO”, offering practical projects for undergraduate students.
Don’t forget to check out the activities of our partners:
Our Partners
3R-BioMedicUS is a partner structure of the 3R Network Baden-Württemberg, headed by the 3R Center Tübingen. We further work closely with other research units at the university (Biomedical Systems, SRCSB, SPI-MP, SimTech) and clinical and biotech partners in Baden-Württemberg and beyond.
Animal welfare
When research questions cannot be answered with non-animal methodologies alone, work with animal models is carried out in line with the 3R principles and the current legislation, under close guidance of our animal welfare officers (Animal welfare information at the University of Stuttgart - German only).
News
Contact Us
Monilola Olayioye
Prof. Dr.3R-BioMedicUS Speaker
Michael Heymann
Jun.Prof. Dr.3R-BioMedicUS Co-speaker
Raluca Tamas
Dr. rer. nat.3R-BioMedicUS Scientific Coordinator