Research advances our society. Fuelled by curiosity and the feeling of responsibility for others, it enables to broaden our horizons and discover solutions to long lasting problems. A vital part of these developments spur from our understanding of biology. This largely comes from research on living organisms, including clinical studies as much as research with laboratory animals.
In order to make significant advances in life sciences, it is crucial to plan and perform the animal experiments in a humane fashion. This means taking into consideration the ethical and moral aspects of the planned study, but also the wealth of our current knowledge and our understanding of the behaviour of the animal. Finally, it embraces respect and compassion to other species. Research that does not account for these aspects is bound to show only a narrow part of the biology and its translational value will be flawed.
We at the Institute of Laboratory Animal Sciences (LTK) are dedicated to performing highest-level research and teaching in translational and basic research. Our mission is to improve research and education for the benefit of animals and humans.
Through our educational program, the staff of LTK introduces every year hundreds of Swiss and international scientists into the appropriate methodology for conducting humane and scientifically sound animal experiments in their respective research fields. This well-respected program follows the high standards of Swiss animal protection legislation and of the Federation of European Laboratory Animal Science Associations (FELASA). Advanced courses in specific topics provide further training for scientists.
In our research laboratory, we use preclinical models for research in understanding how immunological tolerance is established. Armed with this information, we elucidate how immunological tolerance can be broken, leading to autoimmune diseases and as an approach towards new cancer immunotherapies.