Hands-on courses: Refinement of minor procedures

Content 

These courses will cover practical elements aimed at refreshing or refining skills to carry out minor procedures on mice or rats.

Participants will follow a demo, and subsequently practice selected minor procedures on simulators and on mice/rats such as handling and immobilization using non-aversive techniques; dosing of substances using intraperitoneal, subcutaneous and intravenous or oral gavage routes; collection of blood samples from tail and/or saphenous veins, and application of humane killing techniques, including valid means for death confirmation.

After completion of this workshop, participants should be able to:

1. Approach, handle, and restrain a mouse according to good practice
2. Perform a variety of injections and/or practice oral gavage in simulators and in mice/rats
3. Collect blood samples using different methods
4. Apply humane killing methods in mice/rats and learn how to complete their death

Mice that will be used in the hands-on sessions will be acquired from naive animals that were unsuitable for scientific studies (surplus colonies, wrong sex, negative genotypes, etc).

Target group

Any person holding a Function A qualification who:

• Have experience in carrying out minor procedures on mice, but need an update or an upgrade in their skills (refinement);
• Will be resuming practical work on laboratory mice after a prolonged break;
• Are seeking added training in selected minor techniques such as e.g. intravenous injections or oral gavage.

Admission requirements

Applicants must hold a Function A qualification including skills (or equivalent) in rodents as a pre-requisite to participate in this workshop.

Mouse sessions - Dates, registration and fees

Hands-on training will be held at the KM Learning Lab, Nobels väg 16 (Campus Solna).

Dates and registration links

February 2025

COURSE 5515: Refinement of minor procedures on mice (skills) (0.5 cr.)

Dates: Tuesday February 18, at 1-4 pm
           Wednesday February 19, at 9 am-4 pm (lunch at 12-1 pm)
Register here

March 2025

COURSE 5515: Refinement of minor procedures on mice (skills) (0.5 cr.)

Dates: Tuesday March 25, at 1-4 pm
           Wednesday March 26, at 9 am-4 pm (lunch at 12-1 pm)
Register here

May 2025

COURSE 5515: Refinement of minor procedures on mice (skills) (0.5 cr.)

Dates: Tuesday May 20, at 1-4 pm
           Wednesday May 21, at 9 am-4 pm (lunch at 12-1 pm)
Register here

Fees - Mouse sessions

• Karolinska Institutet: Doctoral students, postdocs and KM staff: free of charge. Others KI affiliated: 3 400 kr (incl. INDI)
• Externals: 5 400 kr (excl. VAT)

Rat sessions - Dates, registration and fees

Hands-on training will be held at the KM Learning Lab, Nobels väg 16 (Campus Solna).

Dates and registration links

April 2025

COURSE 5516: Refinement of minor procedures on rats (skills) (0.5 cr.)

Dates: Tuesday April 22, at 1-4 pm
           Wednesday April 23, at 9 am-4 pm (lunch at 12-1 pm)
Register here

Fees - Rat sessions

• Karolinska Institutet: Doctoral students, postdocs and KM staff: free of charge. Other KI affiliated: 3 900 kr (incl. INDI)
• Externals: 5 900 kr (excl. VAT)

Number of participants

Seats are limited. Minimum 2 and maximum 4 will be accepted in each session. Selection will be based on first-come, first-served basis.

LAS CPD credits

The workshop provides 9 hours of Continued Professional Development (CPD) activity in Laboratory Animal Science (LAS). Certificates of attendance authenticated by the Unit for education and training in laboratory animal science, Comparative Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, will be provided.

Contact

las-edu@km.ki.se