NC3Rs CRACK-IT Challenges
28 July 2011
CRACK-IT is a new initiative of the NC3Rs launched in 2011. It consists of two interlinked parts: a web-based research engine for problem solving and idea sharing between small companies, academic researchers and industry; and CRACK-IT Challenges, a competition with financial resource to:
- Identify new technologies and approaches that will drive future reductions in animal use
- Connect academic and industry scientists to accelerate the translation of new ideas and methods into practice
- Support scientists in developing tools that meet current industry needs
- Drive innovative research with the potential to address global scientific challengesCRACK-IT Challenges is a competition to facilitate the development of new technologies and methodologies with the potential to minimise animal use and improve animal welfare for the global bioscience research community.
NC3Rs have worked with a range of industry sponsors to identify areas where new ideas are needed to address specific business needs and support the 3Rs. Specific Challenges have been developed which will be co-sponsored by the NC3Rs and industry to find potential solutions from academic and/or SME applicants. The NC3Rs will provide financial support with in-kind contributions from individual companies. The emphasis on delivering solutions that are themselves marketable or contribute to improving industrial processes marks a departure for us from our traditional role of awarding research grants to academia; encouraging applications with a greater emphasis on translation from both the academic and private sectors.
The Challenges will be launched at a meeting in central London on
20 September 2011 where there will be opportunities to meet the industry sponsors and identify new collaborators to help solve these Challenges. Application forms will be available from
20 September.
For 2011, there are five Challenges and the expertise that may be needed are:
Challenge 1
A predictive in vitro screen for nephrotoxicity: from mice to men and back again
Cell culture, tissue engineering, stem cells, cellular and molecular assays (e.g. high content imaging, genomics, real-time read outs, etc.)
Challenge 2
Wireless recording of the electrophysiology of cognition in psychiatric disease models
Rodent behaviour, in vivo electrophysiology, telemetry, mechanical and electrical engineering, software development
Challenge 3
Rodent Big Brother: automated recording of rodent activity and temperature in the home cage
Software and data collection, sensor electronics, telemetry
Challenge 4
Improving the predictive capacity of in vitro cytokine release assays to reduce animal use and drug attrition
Immunology, cellular assays, antibody structure and function
Challenge 5
Improved in vitro to in vivo extrapolation in chemical safety risk assessment of human systemic toxicity
Cell biology, physiology, chemistry, mathematical modelling, systems biology
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