Plant and animal testing encompasses experimental methods that use whole organisms or their tissues to assess biological responses to chemicals, drugs, genetic modifications, environmental stressors, or other interventions under controlled conditions. In plants, testing commonly involves growth assays, phytotoxicity and ecotoxicological evaluations, and phenotypic or molecular analyses following exposure or genetic manipulation. In animals, it includes in vivo toxicology, pharmacokinetics, efficacy studies, and behavioral or physiological assessments, often guided by standardized protocols and regulatory frameworks. These methods aim to elucidate mechanisms of action, dose–response relationships, safety margins, and translational relevance to ecosystems or human health, while increasingly integrating refinement, reduction, and replacement strategies.
A new Murdoch University study has uncovered alarming levels of pesticide contamination in the food sources of endangered Carnaby's cockatoos in the Wheatbelt—including concentrations well above regulatory limits found in ...
Ecology
Jul 19, 2026
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Seeds from South Africa's world-famous rooibos tea are headed to the International Space Station to see how they respond to space conditions in the first such experiment for Africa, organizers announced Thursday.
Space Exploration
Jul 16, 2026
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8
Mizani, a 12-year-old male western lowland gorilla at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park, underwent a first-of-its-kind mastoidectomy to treat an infection that had spread into portions of his skull. The surgery was performed ...
Biotechnology
Jul 14, 2026
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Rutgers Office for Research (OfR) leaders collaborated with researchers around the world to develop an artificial intelligence (AI) program that has the potential to revolutionize lab research.
Biotechnology
Jul 10, 2026
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7
It started as a joke. Representatives of menswear brand MJ Bale had spent three days in a design sprint with CSIRO scientists trying to nail what kind of tool the company needed to prove its sustainability credentials.
Environment
Jul 7, 2026
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8
In biomedical research using mouse models, preparing pseudopregnant recipient females is a standard step in embryo transfer protocols. Conventionally, this process requires technicians to select female mice showing clear ...
Other
Jul 6, 2026
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4
A rat first frees a cagemate rat and then shares food with it. Is this animal just as empathetic as humans? In an American study from 2011, researchers observed that rats first freed their fellow rats from a cage and then ...
Plants & Animals
Jul 5, 2026
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38
Spider venoms contain ingredients that could lead to a new treatment to protect honeybees from the deadly Varroa destructor mite, according to a study led by the University of the Sunshine Coast. Researchers identified components ...
Plants & Animals
Jul 2, 2026
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54
A team of international scientists and risk assessment experts has developed a foundational blueprint for an innovative population model designed to improve environmental safety testing for agricultural pesticides. The tool, ...
Biotechnology
Jun 30, 2026
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4
Researchers at Northumbria University have produced new economic evidence demonstrating the significant and growing commercial value of alternatives to animal testing in the U.K., with findings already featuring in parliamentary ...
Biotechnology
Jun 23, 2026
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