“Research on animals has been an essential component of every field of medical research and drug development. The role of animal research in terms of acquiring basic knowledge in biology is pivotal.
The National Facility for Laboratory Animal Research and Care (NFLARC) at the Dr. Panjwani Center for Molecular Medicine and Drug Research (PCMD), University of Karachi, is playing a significant role in facilitating researchers to conduct their animal related experiments in the Specific Pathogen Free (SPF) environment.”
Prof. Dr. M. Iqbal Choudhary, Director of the International Center for Chemical and Biological Sciences, and COMSTECH Coordinator General, said this while speaking at the inaugural ceremony of International Training Course on “Dissection and Specimen Collection from Small Laboratory Animals” held on Wednesday.
More than 250 participants from different countries, including Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Azerbaijan, and Iran, are participating (combined online and physical) in the international course, being held at the NFLARC, mutually organized by Dr. Panjwani Center, COMSTECH, and Sindh Innovation Research, and Education Network (SIREN). Famous Chinese scientist Prof. Dr. Xinmin Liu and Dr. Mudassar Azhar also spoke on the occasion.
Prof. Choudhary said that animal studies played a significant role in the acquisition of basic knowledge in biology, as it has advanced our knowledge and understanding of how biological systems of humans and animals work. He added that laboratory animals were becoming increasingly important for biomedical and health research.
The use of animals allows researchers to study diseases, develop new medicines and treatments, and test the safety of both new medicines and treatments, he said, adding that the use of animals in research is vital for empowering researchers to develop new drugs and treatments.
Prof. Choudhary hoped that this 4-days workshop will help the participants to develop their capacity building.
Earlier, while presenting the welcome remarks, Dr. Mudassar Azhar, the workshop coordinator, welcomed the participants in the national event, and said the workshop would focus on the organization and management of animal experiments, in which participants will know the entire process and protocols involved in dissection and specimen collection from small laboratory animals.
