Behaviour and welfare of laboratory mice

At the same time as mice are getting increasingly important as research animals in the life sciences, society shows growing concern for the welfare of laboratory animals. For many animals in research facilities, the main factor affecting their welfare is the type of cages or housing systems they are kept in. The interaction between the animal and its environment also has crucial implications on the animal as a research model.
In the present project, we will study the effect of rearing and housing laboratory mice in different types of cages. Mice will be born and housed until weaning in either a standard cage (transparent cage with sawdust bedding) or an enriched cage (larger transparent cage with sawdust bedding, nesting material, nest box and cardboard rolls). Half of the animals will change treatment after weaning, half of the animals will remain in the same housing systems. Parameters measured will include behaviour in the home cage, behavioural and physiological reaction to handling and novelty and motor capacity.
The project is being carried out at Institute for Molecular and Cell Biology (IBMC), which is a state research institute located in Porto, the second biggest city of Portugal. IBMC covers a large area of research fields in the life sciences, with the main focus on fundamental biological research and biomedicine. The project leader is an animal scientist with a PhD in ethology, with animal behaviour and welfare as main research interests. The project starts in September 2002 and will continue until July 2003. A suitable background for the work will be veterinary medicine, biology or animal sciences, preferrably with courses in ethology and physiology completed.