ART News_#BOARD26 makes clear that animals and other approaches are complementary

By Helena Pinheiro, EARA

Be Open About Animal Research Day (#BOARD26), an annual social media campaign organised by the European Animal Research Association, took place on 9 July 2026 with unprecedented participation from the global biomedical community, who came together to address the complementarity between animal research and new approach methodologies (NAMs) such as organoids, computational models and organs-on-chips.

More than 300 contributions, from 39 countries, put forward a central idea: animal models remain essential to study complex processes in living organisms, while NAMs provide crucial mechanistic insights. Most research requires the use of both approaches — each model is used according to the scientific question and animals are not used when there are alternatives. By sharing video and written statements, interviews, podcast episodes, case studies and infographics, which can be consulted on EARA’s website, the biomedical community highlighted how they welcome the advancement and increasing complexity of NAMs and animal models alike, reiterating that, in science, approaches that integrate multiple models are the only way to advance scientific progress. The campaign defied the inaccurate portrayal of animal research being old-fashioned, showcasing the highest level of technology applied to studies with both animal and other approaches. Participants also underscored the tight oversight and regulation that protects animals used in research, and the dedication of researchers and staff working with animals to uphold the best animal welfare.

A particularly strong contribution came from the Netherlands, a country with a particular focus on the development of NAMs and a political landscape that has recently threatened animal research funding, namely for primate research. Stichting Informatie Dierproeven (SID) and EARA members Radboud University and the Biomedical Primate Research Center (BPRC), together with other leading Dutch institutions, came forward with statements from more than 150 scientists opening up about animal research and the ability to use various research methods in the development of new treatments and medicines.

Researchers from countries with less developed infrastructures, namely from Egypt, Uganda and Nigeria, also warned that a phase-out of animal research risks affecting countries where there are higher barriers to implementing NAMs unequally, reinforcing the importance of global collaboration.

In Portugal and Germany, four institutions organised events to celebrate #BOARD26, including open laboratory and animal facility visits for students, journalists and healthcare professionals, and an event that brought together researchers working exclusively with cell culture and computational models together with colleagues conducting animal research.

At a time when NAMs and animal research are often portrayed as competing, scientists are ready to openly support science and engage with the public to promote evidence-based information. The ongoing narrative around NAMs has no place in scientific progress. It can negatively impact science by decreasing public trust and by limiting crucial research, both using animals and NAMs, since supporting NAMs solely as replacement tools overlooks many of their strengths and potential applications.