In conjunction with the Agricultural Research and Extension Center, the Southern University Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee oversees the research of graduate and undergraduate students involving animals.
The committee seeks to enhance the health and well being of humans and animals through education, professional, ethical, and moral principles.
Animal responsibilities include maintenance, proper cleaning and housing, food availability, and appropriate veterinary anesthetics and analgesics.
“For example, it is acceptable for a student to do a research project with farm eggs.
However, if someone wants to inject a substance into the eggs and study the effects, this is when an approval is needed,” said James I. McNitt, chairperson of the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee.
Once an application for the project is submitted and approved, a university veterinarian reviews the assignment with the researcher to ensure that all research on the animals is safe and done correctly.
The Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee, also known as, IACUC, has the authority to suspend any project until it is in compliance with the rules and regulations.
Protocols that are considered for review by the IACUC include satisfactory of the training and experience of personnel involved, prevention of unnecessary replication of experiments, working environment safety and plans and procedures for post-research care.
“We deal with three R’s, replacement, refinement, and reduction. Are there any other methods? Is the number of animals used in the experiment adequate, but not excessive? These are concepts that must be considered,” said McNitt. “We work under the supervision of the government.”
Researchers are required to attend training beforehand. Additionally, every six months an evaluation is done by the IACUC to inspect the humane care and use of the animals as well as facilities, provide training and aid with research.
