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An updated list of all the Animal Welfare Training Courses 2023 accepted by the Swiss Federal Veterinary Office will be published on Liste TV-Weiterbildung.

The courses are organized by ecotoxsolutions and take place as Video-course using "Zoom". The course language is English or German (see pdf-file of relevant course). The courses will take about eight hours and will be regarded as a one day development course by the Swiss authorities. A written certificate will be handed out at the end of the course. This certificate will have to be shown to the Swiss authorities on request.

The costs of each of the courses are Fr. 700.- including pdf-files of the presentations or handouts in a file. Online courses are available on request. Registration by e-mail to rufli@ecotoxsolutions.com

The MODUL 20 ECOTOX is regarded as basic course for persons performing experiments with fish corresponding to FELASA-B and consists of a total of six courses A, B1, B2, B3, D2, P with theoretical and practical education of at least 40 hours. Course programme P (practical education) is shown on the German part of the webpage: here.

Course F on Amphibia: Introduction to Culturing and Ecotoxicological Tests with Xenopus

Mornings of October 23 & 24, 2023, see detailed programme: Course F: Amphibia

Course Focus

• Xenopus Biology, Dev. Stages (Nieuwkoop & Faber), TRY IT YOURSELF, QUIZ!
• Husbandry and Culture of Xenopus laevis
• Amphibian Metamorphosis Assay, AMA, OECD 231, What to be aware of
• Hypothalamus-Pituitary-Thyroid (HPT) axis of amphibia and interferences

• Larval Amphibian Growth & Development Assay, LAGDA, OECD 241

Questions you will be able to answer after the course: List of questions

Speakers

Course H2 on Histology in Fish

Mornings of October 2 & 3, 2023, see detailed programme: Course H2: Histology in Fish

Course Focus

• Histological Methods: Sampling, Fixation, Processing
• Maturation Stages in Gonads
• Limitations: Value, Limitations & Reliability of the application of Histology
• Evaluation of Sample Slides (and your own!) : TRY IT YOURSELF as QUIZ!

Speakers

Updated Course B1: Biology and Husbandry of Fish according to the 3Rs
Mornings of October 9 & 10, 2023, see detailed programme: Course B1

Course Focus

• Husbandry & Culture of OECD/EPA Standard-Species: Rainbow trout, Bluegill, Fathead minnow, Carp, Zebrafish, Medaka with videos, species-comparison & -selection
• Water Quality Requirements, Loadings
• Handling of Fish according to the Requirements of Animal Welfare: Measurement of weight and length, marking and sacrificing of fish

Speakers

Updated Course B2: Husbandry, Culture and Health of Fish, Avoidance of Diseases
Thursday, October 26, 2023, see detailed programme: Course B2

Course Focus

• Supply, Husbandry, Culture and Health of Fish, Water Quality and Loadings: According to the requirements of animal welfare based on "Zebrafish: Housing and Care".
• Health of Fish: Assess clinical signs according to OECD 203 (2019) with videos.
• Diseases: Avoidance of diseases and common diseases with symptoms
• Handling of Fish: Measurement of weight and length, marking and sacrificing methods according to the requirements of animal welfare.
• Zebrafish Behaviour and Ecology: Zebrafish behaviour in Nature

Questions you will be able to answer after the course: List of questions

Speakers

Updated Course B3: Scientific Procedures, Supply, Husbandry and Culture of Zebrafish

Afternoons of October 18 & 19, 2021, see detailed programme: Course B3                                          In 2023 only on special request.

Course Focus

• Supply & Transport, Research, Scientific Procedures, Biology, Husbandry, Culture   and Breeding of Zebrafish for scientific research
• Differentiation of Zebrafish Gondads
• Methods of Egg and Sperm Collection: Quality of eggs and sperm

Questions you will be able to answer after the course: List of questions

Speakers

Updated Course C:
Endocrine Active Substances in the Aquatic Environment and the Effects on Fish

Mornings of October 16 & 17, 2023, see detailed programme: Course C

Course Focus

• Sexual Development of Fish: Anatomy, gonads, sexual differentiation and development, secondary sex characteristics, sex and sex reversal
• Endocrine Active Substances: Endocrine disruptors, hormonal regulation of reproduction & metabolism, endocrine potency, testing methods & endpoints
• Removal of Blood and Gonads in order to assess endocrine effects

Speakers

Updated Course D1 & D2:
Ecotoxicity Testing to fulfil the Requirements of the Registration in the EU, US and Japan

D1: Mornings of October 19 & 20, 2023, see detailed programme: Course D1

D2: October 5, see detailed programme: Course D2

Course Focus

• D1: Preparation of Test Solutions: General recommendations for the preparation of test solutions with difficult substances and what to be aware of based on OECD Guidance Document No. 23, updated in 2018: Stability Trials, Solubilising methods, WAF & WSF e.g. for UVCBs. Saturation Systems & Passive Dosing, What to be aware of
• D1: From Range-Finder to the Definitive Tests: Critical steps to avoid repetitions
• D2: Test with Fish, Daphnia and Algae: Successful qualitiy testing to register in the EU, USA, Japan; feedback from EPA reviewers and what to be aware of
• D2: Data Reporting: Meaningful reporting of results, Examples
• D1, D2: Case Studies: Based on tests with difficult substances

Questions you will be able to answer after the course D1: List of questions

Questions you will be able to answer after the course D2: List of questions

Speakers

Updated Course A:
Legislation and Licence Application, Fish Tests according to the 3Rs & Alternative Methods

Monday, October 30, 2023

see detailled Programme: Kurs A 2023 deutsch

Course Focus

• Fish in Experiments: Legal aspects & licence application, Tierschutz-Gesetz & Verordn.
• Stress Reactions, Pain and Suffering: Stress Reactions, Clinical Signs, Assessment of Severity Degrees of Suffering, all based on Videos of Carp, Medaka, Trout
• Scoring of Clinical Signs, Premature Stop of Experiment (Moribundity)
• Fish Tests accoring to the3 Rs: Reduce/Refine, Replace alternatives for fish tests
• Justification of Animal Tests: Ethical argumentation, Harm-Benefit analysis, Example

Speakers

Course G: Testing of different Species and Assessment of Effects to the Environment (Risk)

                           In 2023 only on special request

see detailled Programme: Course G 

Course Focus

• Effects: Ecotoxicological Test Methods, Intra-& Inter-Species Comparisons, Higher Tier Studies, Parameters affecting Toxicity
• Exposure: Exposure calculation with practical examples
• Risk-Assessment & Classification: Principal approaches, exposure & effect estimation
• Case Studies: Do your own risk assessments of known substances!

Questions you will be able to answer after the course: List of questions

Speakers

Photograph – Tests on fish egg stages as an alternative method to animal experimentation according to the principles of 3R.