Animal technology is a specialist profession responsible for the care and welfare of laboratory animals. Read more...

Animal Technology Facts

• Animal technicians are in charge of the treatment and well-being of animals used in bio-medical research and must keep up-to-date with the strict laws that control all animal research. They also work to find ways of using fewer animals and of improving the quality of life for the laboratory animals in their care
• Animal research comes under the Animal (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986. This legislation is viewed as the tightest in the world and permits only essential research with clear medical benefits
• Measuring the size of the industry is difficult because of its sensitive nature. It is estimated that across the UK there are about 285 businesses currently employing 3,400 people
• Organisational breakdown by main activity is:

      Government organisation (10%)
      Research council (6%)
      Medical research (17%)
      Commercial breeder (3%)
      University (32%)
      Commercial pharmaceutical (16%)
      Other (15%)

• The UK has a strong reputation in the research and development of new drugs and drug discovery. So there is a demand for the services of animal breeders and technologists
• Animal technologists can also be involved with the scientific work and hold Home Office licences allowing them to perform authorised procedures on animals

Did you know?

Animals are used in five main areas of biomedical research and product testing. The latest government figures, for 2008, show that animals were used in the following areas:

• Developing new treatments for diseases or ways of preventing disease 27%
• Basic biological and medical research 32%
• Breeding of laboratory animals (mostly for research and developing new treatments) 38%
• Developing new methods of diagnosis 1%
• Safety testing of non-medical products used in the home, agriculture and industry (no cosmetic or toiletries after 1998) 2%