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

January 2026
COURSE 5515:Refinement of minor procedures on mice (skills) (0.5 cr.)

Tuesday January 13, at 13:00-16:00
Wednesday January 14, at 09:00 – 16:00 (lunch break 12:00-13:00)

Register here

February 2026
COURSE 5515: Refinement of minor procedures on mice (skills) (0.5 cr.)

Tuesday February 10, at 13:00 – 16:00
Wednesday February 11, at 09:00 -16:00 (lunch break 12:00-13:00)

Register here

April 2026
COURSE 5515: Refinement of minor procedures on mice (skills) (0.5 cr.)

Tuesday April 4, at 13:00-16:00
Wednesday April 8, at 09:00-16-00 (lunch break 12:00-13:00)

Register here

May 2026
COURSE 5515: Refinement of minor procedures on mice (skills) (0.5 cr.)

Tuesday May 12, at 13:00-16:00
Wednesday May 13, at 09:00-16-00 (lunch break 12:00-13:00)

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 - Registration

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

For registration and information, please contact LAS-edu@km.ki.se

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 persons 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