News on non-animal methods
FEBRUARY 09 - 13, 2026
NEWS, REPORTS & POSITION STATEMENTS
1. Strengthening the competitiveness of EU in vitro biotechnologies
In vitro biotechnology (IVB) is a rapidly growing sector that combines advanced micro-engineered technologies with biological materials to produce a range of novel tools used in life science research and product development. The EU has been a leader in research and development of IVB, such as human 3D cell and tissue models used in disease research and drug development. However, it is struggling to convert scientific discoveries into business creation and competitiveness within a rapidly growing international market.
In a recent article published in Trends in Biotechnology, Maurice Whelan, Head of the Chemical Safety and Alternative Methods Unit JRC (Joint Research Centre, European Commission), et al., reviewed the current situation and levers to strengthen the competitiveness of EU in vitro biotechnologies (IVB).
2. Managing change while phasing out animal testing in chemical safety assessments – a collection of stakeholder experiences and expectations
Elisabet Berggren and Andrew P. Worth have just published a summary of a series of bilateral discussions between the European Commission and different stakeholders in the context of developing the EU roadmap towards the phasing out of animal testing in chemical safety assessment.
This exercise was performed with a representative spread of stakeholders to harvest a multiplex and informed overview of experiences and expectations in different areas of competence. The intention was to understand how different stakeholder groups are preparing for the transition, as well as their incentives and concerns. The insights gained through these free-floating discussions provided an input to inform the development of the EU roadmap, along with evidence gathered through more formal and structured stakeholder consultations.
3. Federation of toxicological data resources for in silico NAMs
Next Generation Risk Assessment (NGRA) promotes animal-free, exposure-informed, and hypothesis-driven approaches to chemical safety assessment. In silico tools, such as quantitative structure – activity relationship (QSAR) models, are valuable new approach methodologies (NAMs) for use in NGRA. However, the practical implementation of in silico NAMs remains limited by challenges in data availability, heterogeneity, and regulatory acceptance.
To advance chemical safety assessment while leveraging proprietary data domains, a recent study introduced federated learning, a decentralised machine learning approach where multiple organisations, devices or servers collaboratively train a model while keeping their data locally, sharing only model updates to preserve confidentiality and privacy. The results show that federated learning approaches can yield predictive performance comparable to centralised models while mitigating concerns over the visibility of, and access to, commercially sensitive data.
INTERVIEWS, NOMINATIONS & AWARDS
4. NCATS Translational Science Education and Training Challenge Winners
The Challenge from the NCATS Education Branch aims at identifying, amplifying and disseminating exemplary models of translational science education and training from across the nation to a broad national audience. Winners of the NCATS Translational Science Education and Training Challenge are:
- NYU Clinical and Translational Science Institute, Training Opportunity: Scientific and Technical Education Pathway Programs for Student (STEPPS): Undergraduate Training in Translational Research
- Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM),Training Opportunity: Summer Immersion on Innovative Approaches in Science
- Reena V. Kartha: Educational Opportunity: Rare Diseases: What It Takes to Be a Medical Orphan
- Washington University in St. Louis,Training Opportunity: Translational Science Training Program for T and K trainees at Washington University
TOOLS, PLATFORMS, CALLS
5. Descroix-Vernier EthicScience Prize 2027: Call for applications is now open
Created in 2013 by the Pro Anima Scientific Committee, the EthicScience Prize became the Descroix-Vernier EthicScience (DVES) Prize in 2023, marking the convergence of the objectives and missions of Pro Anima and the Fondation Descroix-Vernier. The DVES Prize is among the most generously funded prizes in Europe, entirely dedicated to scientific research and cutting-edge technologies that could yield more conclusive results than traditional models (2D in vitro or in vivo animal studies).
With a total endowment of €110,000, the DVES Prize awards three categories:
- INNOVATION — Pushing Scientific Boundaries (50 000 eur)
- QUALIFICATION & APPLICABILITY — Cutting-edge Science for Real-World Impact (50 000 eur)
- JURY’S PRIZE — Recognizing Visionary Research (10 000 eur)
The call for applications is now open. Deadline to apply: April 30, 2026.
6. IFER Graduate Fellowships
The International Foundation for Ethical Research (IFER) is now accepting pre-proposal applications for the 2027 Graduate Fellowship Program. IFER Graduate Fellowships support projects that advance the development, validation, or implementation of human-relevant, non-animal methodologies in research, testing, or education. Funding is directed toward innovative scientific methods with the potential to replace animal models while improving scientific outcomes.
Grants are $15,000 per year, renewable for up to three years based on student progress and funding availability. Fellows are eligible for a $1,000 travel award to present their research at conferences.Applications must be submitted by 11:59 PM CST on Wednesday, April 1, 2026.
Check out our calls interface
INDUSTRY, BIOTECH & PARTNERSHIPS
7. IAMPS: A new united voice for a strategic sector for Europe
European microphysiological systems (MPS) industry leaders, AlveoliX (Switzerland); BiomimX (Italy); chiron (Netherlands); Dynamic42 (Germany); InSphero (Switzerland); MIMETAS (Netherlands) NETRI (France), React4Life (Italy) and TissUse (Germany), announced the creation of the Industry Alliance for Microphysiological Systems (IAMPS), the world’s first industry association dedicated to represent MPS providers.
IAMPS will work constructively with national, EU and international institutions, end-users from all industries as well as other stakeholders to overcome these challenges, starting with the key priorities, among them: Collaborate with the National Agencies, European Medicines Agency (EMA), other EU agencies and international agencies; Create data-sharing platforms between MPS developers and end-users; Advance the qualification and standardization of MPS devices in collaboration with EU agencies such as the EMA and the European Center for the Validation of Alternative Methods.
8. Phylo launched Biomni Lab: A research lab studying agentic biology
Spun out of the Biomni research project at the Stanford AI Lab, Phylo is an applied research lab dedicated to studying agentic intelligence to accelerate discoveries for every biomedical scientist. Last week, Kexin Huang, co-founder and CEO, announced Phylo and its product Biomni Lab, the first Integrated Biology Environment (IBE), along with a $13.5M seed round co-led by a16z/Andreessen Horowitz and Menlo Ventures/Anthropic.
Biomni Lab uses agents to orchestrate over 300 databases, software systems, and analytical tools into a single environment. Additional ecosystem integrations — such as experimental services and knowledge graphs — are underway to unlock new capabilities of the IBE.
9. New partnership between Cherry Biotech and Cytion
The French start-up Cherry Biotech, that develops OOC (Organ-On-Chip) platforms providing high-quality biological data coming from Multi-Omic analysis & the most advanced imaging techniques, announced entering a partnership with Cytion for access to their 800+ cell lines catalog in the production of Cherry Biotech’s OrganoidPlate.
This partnership will thus allow the production of organoids with a high degree of human physiological relevancy and therefore contribute to the generation of real-life-like data by their customers during preclinical drug development phases.
10. Cellares: To industrialize global cell therapy manufacturing with breakthrough automation
Cellares, the first Integrated Development and Manufacturing Organization (IDMO), announced a $257 million Series D financing co‑led by investment funds managed by BlackRock and Eclipse, bringing the company’s total capital raised to $612 million.
Cellares’ IDMO model replaces manual labor‑intensive contract manufacturing with the most advanced technologies for manufacturing and quality control – fully automated, GMP-compliant and ready for clinical and commercial use.
The round will fund the global buildout of automated IDMO Smart Factories across South San Francisco, CA; Bridgewater, NJ; Leiden, the Netherlands; and Kashiwa City, Japan. “The barrier to curing more patients is no longer scientific – it is industrial,” said Fabian Gerlinghaus, Co-Founder and CEO of Cellares. “With FDA validation, global commercial demand, and the capital to scale, we are building the high-tech infrastructure required to deliver cures and life-changing treatments worldwide.”
SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERIES & PROTOCOLS
11. New 3D Skin tissue model to identify possible new treatments for Herpes Simplex Virus
HSV is a major public health concern. Although there is currently no cure for HSV, its symptoms can be managed with acyclovir; however, resistance to acyclovir can develop, particularly in patients with weakened immune systems. As a result, new therapies are needed.
In a recent study, Marc Ferrer, Ph.D., director of NIH’s 3‑D Tissue Bioprinting Laboratory and his team collaborated with Jia Zhu, Ph.D., from the University of Washington to develop a 3‑D skin tissue to model HSV infection. They showed that acyclovir is significantly less effective in skin-derived keratinocytes than donor-matched fibroblasts.The 3D bioprinted HSE (Health, Safety, and Environment) assay platform enables the integration of patient-derived cells early in drug development and offers a physiologically relevant approach for HSV drug discovery.
Read the article in Nature Communications
12. Toward engineering a human kidney collecting duct system
Recapitulating the complex architecture and function of human kidneys remains a major challenge in tissue engineering. A team of bioengineers at the Wyss Institute at Harvard University and Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) led by Wyss Core Faculty member Jennifer Lewisleveraged recent advances in generating ureteric bud (UB) and collecting duct (CD) organoids from human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) to generate perfusable UB tubules that respond to luminal flow and exhibit budding reminiscent of early branching morphogenesis.
The work opens new avenues for drug testing, disease modeling, and creating bioengineered kidney tissues replete with CD networks for therapeutic use.
Read the article in Cell Biomaterials
13. Big Data make hidden genetic drivers of Type 2 Diabetes visible
Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a prevalent disease arising from complex molecular mechanisms.
An international team led by Helmholtz Munich has now used globally collected genetic data to pinpoint the genes and proteins linked to T2D. The researchers leveraged T2D genetic associations to identify causal molecular mechanisms in an ancestry-aware and tissue-aware manner. They analyse 20,307 gene and 1,630 protein expression levels.
“Our analysis shows how incomplete it is to try to explain mechanisms using data from blood alone. (…) Across seven diabetes-relevant tissues, we identified causal evidence for 676 genes – and at the same time found that a large proportion of these effects do not appear in blood” says Dr. Ozvan Bocher from Université de Bretagne Occidentale (France) and the Institute of Translational Genomics at Helmholtz Munich, first author of the publication.
Read the article in Nature Metabolism
