Every year, millions of animal research organizations and organ specimens go to waste, either forgotten in the depths of laboratory freezers or destroyed to make space.
Spanish scientists have developed a new online platform called aRukon, where researchers can sell unused animal specimens to other labs, reducing waste and saving animal lives. The platform is set to go live globally later this year.
The new platform allows researchers to sell unused samples to other labs. Image Source: SAMUEL WHITTON/ALAMY
Lluís Montoliu, Deputy Director of the National Biotechnology Center of Spain and geneticist, is optimistic about this initiative. As a member of the Animal Experiment Transparency Committee of the Spanish Society for Scientific Research, he has long advocated for reducing the use and waste of animals in laboratories or research centers. "The scientific community needs to question why such a platform system wasn't in place earlier."
aRukon is the brainchild of Javier Burgos, a biomedical researcher at Spain's University of King Jaime I. Twenty years of research into neurological regeneration diseases has made him realize how "tedious, complex, and expensive" animal experiments can be. He believes that some of the samples in his work may be useful to researchers studying other devastating diseases. "I often find myself standing in front of an open freezer, having to make a challenging decision: which samples to discard. Panic sets in whenever the freezer reaches maximum capacity," he says.
With funding from Spain's National Research Institute, Burgos, along with the IT company Semicrol, decided to create an online marketplace where researchers could share these old samples. On the free and open aRukon platform, researchers can sell various animal samples ranging from cerebrospinal fluid to entire organs. Sellers can set their prices freely, but they should be significantly lower than the cost of purchasing "fresh" animal samples to discourage profiteering. However, the platform does not allow samples to be provided for free. Burgos believes that the platform will only succeed when researchers receive cash rewards for passing on samples.
Burgos explains that the platform will handle sample circulation logistics through professional companies and will charge a commission for sample transport. Sellers must prove that the samples submitted to aRukon comply with the animal welfare legislation of their country of origin.
aRukon is set to launch officially in the coming months. Since showcasing the platform at a conference in November 2023, Burgos has received a lot of interest. Researchers from 30 different universities, research centers, and companies in Spain have already signed user agreements. Two institutions outside Spain have also signed agreements.
aRukon will help significantly reduce the costs of animal experiments and open up samples to labs that typically do not conduct such experiments. Burgos points out that conducting an animal experiment can cost thousands of euros and take months to obtain ethical approval.
Burgos also hopes that this approach will reduce the overall use of animals, especially if aRukon gains attention in Europe, meaning that every match between researchers saves the life of an animal. Montoliu notes that aRukon's approach is consistent with Spanish and European legislation, which require researchers to minimize the number of animals used in experiments.
Javier Guillén, Senior Manager of the International Committee for the Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care in Europe and Latin America, says that aRukon may formalize practices that were previously informal transactions within the same institution. He believes that the platform should clearly include detailed information on each sample. This includes information about the procedures performed on the animals so that buyers and their institutions can decide whether reusing it is ethical.
Similar efforts are underway. The Biobank and Biomedical Modeling Platform of Spain's Carlos III Health Institute, which currently focuses only on human samples and tissue cultures, will soon allow Spanish researchers to share animal samples, but not through the sale of samples.
