How Expensive Are Lab Rats?
WouterThe costs of lab rats depend on the specific study. Some studies require genetically altered rats that cost over $100 per rat. Basic housing and food costs a few dollars per day. Depending on the type of study, the rats may be housed in one or two-rat cages. Additional costs include reagents and personnel.
The purpose of human drug trials is to improve the quality and efficacy of new medicines. Although these experiments are risky, they’re often lucrative for people who participate. There are many places around the world that conduct clinical trials of new drugs. One such job pays up to $20,000 a year in Australia.
Most lab experiments involving laboratory rats involve mice and rats. In the EU, these animals make up about three-fifths of all laboratory animals used in research. In fact, more than eighty million rats are used in experiments every year. The research performed on these rodents ranges from genetic manipulation to neurology, pain biology, and behavioral psychology. Most of the animals are confined in shoebox-sized plastic containers with tight restrictions that limit their natural behaviors.
Most universities offer training in handling lab animals. These programs are based on the principles of reduction, which is the first R of science. Computer algorithms based on thousands of animal trials are now used to predict the reaction of tissues to different compounds. Ultimately, lab rodents are used to better understand the human body and to develop therapies to treat disease.
