Custom Antibodies
Animal Facilities
Our animal facilities are based in south Belgium and are accredited by the Belgian authorities.
The facilities comply with the highest standards for animal welfare, including FELASA, BELAC and the UK Home Office Animals Scientific Procedures Act.
We also comply with ISO 13485 for the in vitro production of monoclonals and all analytical lab studies are conducted in a GLP environment.
Careful Control
Each animal is selected with the highest vigilance and identified to guarantee traceability. Animal sources are strictly controlled.
SPF rabbits are bred in house to allow sanitary control and flexibility.
An internal Ethical Committee is in place, which plays a strategic role in evaluating each new protocol and carrying out reviews every 5 years.
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Successful audits
We successfully completed over 130 audits, both from the authorities and industrial sponsors.
National authorities inspect our facilities for their compliance regarding animal origin, identification, housing and welfare, making our animal housing one of the cleanest and safest worldwide.
The 3 Rs guidelines
We continuously improve the animal environment and use the most adapted and efficient materials and equipment’s. Special training for technicians has reduced animal stress and maximized the protocol efficiency. Constant improvements of technics and staff management are conducted.
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Reduction
20% Reduction of the number of animals used
Reduction
The technicians involved in blood sampling are highly trained; in combination with the use of performant materials to maximize the blood volume collected per animal, we could drastically decrease the number of animals used. The coagulation techniques have also been improved to collect more serum per animal, further decreasing the number of animals per protocol.
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Replacement
Whenever possible antibodies are produced in eggs or in vitro
Replacement
Whenever possible, polyclonal antibody productions are realized from chicken eggs. We produce recombinant VHH fragments from llama antibodies, and to do so, the llama is usually not sacrificed and maintained in our animal facilities in the most adapted environment.
Monoclonal antibodies are exclusively produced in vitro from cultured hybridoma’s. We thus avoid the ascites method since more than 15 years.
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Refinement
We improve animal well being
Refinement
We constantly work on several parameters, such as environmental enrichment, meticulous sanitary controls and food quality management.
Examples of environmental enrichment:
- Hay blocks for rabbit
- Tunnel + shelves for rabbits
- Plastic/cardboard houses for rodents
- Chewing material for rodents
- Nest material for rodents
- Possibility for nest material for rabbits
- Outside run for large animals
Specific Pathogen Free animals
SPF animals are controled according to the FELASA guidelines for the following pathogens
| Method | Frequency | ||
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Viruses | ||
| Rabbit haemorrhagic disease | ELISA | Quarterly | |
| Rotavirus | ELISA | Quarterly | |
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Bacteria | ||
| Bordetella bronchiseptica | Culture | Quarterly | |
| Clostridium piliformis | Pathology | Quarterly | |
| Dermatophytes | Culture | Quarterly | |
| Pasteurella sp. | Culture | Quarterly | |
| Salmonellae | Culture | Quarterly | |
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Parasites | ||
| Arthropods | Microscope | Quarterly | |
| Helminths | Microscope | Quarterly | |
| Encephalitozoon cuniculi | ELISA | Quarterly | |
| Intestinal protozoa | Microscope | Quarterly | |
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Pathological lesions | ||
| Lesions | Direct Inspection | Daily |
