European Animal Research Association

27/02/2026

Climbing down trees while avoiding falling requires careful management of balance, speed and posture. Animals must adapt their strategy to the arboreal characteristics and their own body measures, such as weight and limb size.

A research team led by the Center for Research on Paléontologie Paris , has observed how tree-living (arboreal) mammals, including primates and rodents, move effectively in trees, discovering patterns that provide insight into how primates acquired upright posture.

Learn more: https://www.eara.eu/post/mammals-climbing-behaviour-informs-primate-evolution

Researchers in France, Germany and Greece have observed how tree-living (arboreal) mammals, including primates and rodents, move effectively in trees, discovering patterns that provide insight into how primates acquired upright posture.

26/02/2026

Multiple sclerosis is a chronic disease in which the immune system attacks myelin, the protective coating around nerve fibres, in the brain and spinal cord, disrupting communication between nerve cells. Early damage often appears as swelling of the myelin sheath, previously thought to precede the formation of larger lesions.

Researchers at The University of Edinburgh and EARA member the Nederlands Herseninstituut have uncovered how early nerve damage can sometimes lead to self-repair.
The study used , and tissue from people with multiple sclerosis.

“These findings suggest that intervening during this early swelling phase could protect myelin before it is lost, offering us the opportunity to explore potential new treatment routes,” said David Lyons, from the University of Edinburgh.

Learn more: https://www.eara.eu/post/zebrafish-and-mice-shed-light-on-early-stages-of-ms-damage

A study in the UK and the Netherlands has uncovered how early nerve damage can sometimes lead to self-repair. It used zebrafish, mice and brain tissue from people with multiple sclerosis (MS).

26/02/2026

Our episode of with Sanne Moorman, assistant professor at the University of Groningen, is now live! Did you know that scientists learn a great deal about how we acquire our speech as infants by listening to birds singing? 🐦‍⬛ 🎶

Weeks ago, it was time for questions. Now it’s time for answers. Listen to Sanne's responses to some of the questions posed on our social media about her research using as models for human speech acquisition.

25/02/2026

Heavy drinking during pregnancy can damage brain development, but the long-term effects of moderate alcohol exposure before birth are still unknown.
Research from the University of Wisconsin-Madison has found that moderate alcohol exposure during pregnancy may change how the brain develops and could influence drinking behaviour decades later.

Learn more: https://www.eara.eu/post/primate-study-connects-alcohol-addiction-with-prenatal-exposure

Prenatal exposure to alcohol may increase the risk of problematic drinking in adulthood according to a new 20 year-longitudinal study done in primates.

24/02/2026

Researchers at UCSF showed that artificial intelligence chatbots, when given the right prompts, can be used to decipher large amounts of health data faster than research teams.

Learn more: https://www.eara.eu/post/ai-chatbots-aid-pregnancy-big-data-analysis

A US study showed that artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots, when given the right prompts, can be used to decipher large amounts of health data faster than research teams.

18/02/2026

An episode of the Dutch documentary series ‘Focus’ looks at animal research in the Netherlands, with a particular focus on non-human primate (NHP) research at the EARA member Biomedical Primate Research Centre (BPRC). The programme explores how these studies are carried out and why NHPs are used in some areas of biomedical research.

Learn more: https://www.eara.eu/post/dutch-tv-programme-focus-on-animal-research

An episode of the Dutch documentary series ‘Focus’ looks at animal research in the Netherlands, with a particular focus on non-human primate (NHP) research at the EARA member Biomedical Primate Research Centre (BPRC). The programme explores how these studies are carried out and why NHPs are used...

17/02/2026

When humans and other animals are awake, brain regions communicate in a coordinated way, much like an orchestra, combining their activity to produce perception, emotion and behaviour.
An international team of researchers led by the University of Cambridge has shown that a specific brain region is responsible for awakening fully anesthetised macaques, providing new insight into consciousness.

Learn more: https://www.eara.eu/post/study-in-four-mammal-species-reveals-how-the-brain-restores-consciousness

An international team of researchers has shown that a specific brain region is responsible for awakening fully anesthetised macaques, providing new insight into consciousness.

16/02/2026

Researchers at the University of Exeter have performed gene-editing in wax moths for the first time, opening avenues to use them as a replacement for rodents in some types of research, particularly infection.

Learn more: https://www.eara.eu/post/moths-could-reduce-mammals-use-in-science

Researchers in the UK have performed gene-editing in wax moths for the first time, opening avenues to use them as a replacement for rodents in some types of research, particularly infection.

12/02/2026

One week ago, EARA was at CNB, in Madrid, for the first Patient Discovery Day in Spain, focused on long Covid.
The event, in collaboration with the Madrid Long Covid Association Persistentes Madrid, brought together researchers and people living with long Covid, offering participants first-hand insight into ongoing investigations into SARS-CoV-2 while enabling scientists to hear directly from those affected by persistent symptoms.

Learn more: https://www.eara.eu/post/eara-and-cnb-csic-host-first-patient-discovery-day-in-spain-focused-on-long-covid

EARA’s Patient Discovery Project, which raises awareness among patient groups about the role of biomedical research, including the ethical use of animals, while creating a space for informed dialogue, has reached Spain for the first time through a Discovery Day hosted by EARA member the National C...

12/02/2026

The popular German YouTube channel Tomatolix published a behind-the-scenes video exploring animal research at EARA member Medizinische Hochschule Hannover/ MHHnova. The video offers a clear example of transparency in action, with scientists openly explaining why some research still requires animals and how efforts are being made to minimise harm and develop alternatives that could reduce their use.

Learn more:

This week, the popular German YouTube channel Tomatolix published a behind-the-scenes video exploring animal research at EARA member Hannover Medical School (MHH). The video offers a clear example of transparency in action, with scientists openly explaining why some research still requires animals a...

11/02/2026

👩‍🔬 It's the International Day of Women and Girls in Science.
Today, on 11 February, we specially stand for the full and equal access and participation of women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics fields.

10/02/2026

UK newspaper The Times recently reported renewed efforts to introduce a genetically modified purple tomato into British supermarkets, following prior testing in mice.
Learn more: https://www.eara.eu/post/the-animal-research-behind-the-purple-tomato

UK newspaper The Times recently reported renewed efforts to introduce a genetically modified purple tomato into British supermarkets, following prior testing in mice. The purple tomato was developed by researchers at the John Innes Centre by introducing two genes, through gene editing. They introduc...