Coalition to Illuminate and Address Animal Methods Bias
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thecolaab.bsky.social
Coalition to Illuminate and Address Animal Methods Bias
@thecolaab.bsky.social
72 followers 89 following 150 posts
The Coalition to Illuminate and Address Animal Methods Bias is a global collaboration addressing the preference for animal-based research methods or the lack of expertise to adequately evaluate nonanimal methods.
https://www.animalmethodsbias.org/
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thecolaab.bsky.social
Coalition to Illuminate and Address Animal Methods Bias @thecolaab.bsky.social · Nov 22
Hi Bluesky! 🦋 We're the Coalition to Illuminate and Address Animal Methods Bias (COLAAB), an international collaboration of researchers & advocates aimed at understanding and addressing #AnimalMethodsBias. Expand this introductory 🧵 to learn more about our work. www.animalmethodsbias.org 1/9
Blue and yellow graphic with the following text: "The Coalition to Illuminate and Address Animal Methods Bias: A primer" with the website animalmethodsbias.org
thecolaab.bsky.social
Interested in how #PeerReview bias affects the adoption of #NAMs?

Join us next week for a webinar where COLAAB member Catharine Krebs, PhD will discuss the nature & impacts of #AnimalMethodsBias & share recommendations for mitigating its effects.

🗓️ Thurs Jan 22
⌚️ 10 am ET

#phdsky #phdchat 🧪
January 15, 2026 at 3:52 PM
thecolaab.bsky.social
2025 was a banner year for the COLAAB! 🚀

From the pages of Nature to the halls of NIH, this year we turned awareness into action, leveling the playing field for researchers using nonanimal methods.

Check out our 2025 Wrapped! ⬇️

www.linkedin.com/pulse/colaab...
COLAAB Wrapped: Our 2025 Highlights
🚀 2025 was a banner year for the Coalition to Illuminate and Address Animal Methods Bias (COLAAB)! From the pages of Nature to the halls of NIH, this year we turned awareness into action, leveling the...
www.linkedin.com
January 5, 2026 at 1:19 PM
thecolaab.bsky.social
2026 is almost here! If you’re racing to get your manuscript across the finish line, don’t let reviewer bias against nonanimal methods slow you down.

Our Author Guide helps you strengthen your manuscript and avoid #AnimalMethodsBias in manuscript review. 🧪

www.animalmethodsbias.org/author-guide
The popular "woman yelling at dinner cat" meme with the following text: "Animal methods bias is inevitable! Not if you use the COLAAB's author guide"
December 15, 2025 at 7:22 PM
thecolaab.bsky.social
💡 Simple editor interventions can help address reviewer suggestions for animal experiments!

✅ Grab our new new Editor Checklist here: animalmethodsbias.org/resources/ed...

🔎 Learn more about these recommendations: animalmethodsbias.org/projects/edi...

Expand this 🧵 for more info 👇

🧪
December 11, 2025 at 2:16 PM
thecolaab.bsky.social
When you were starting your scientific career, did you feel pressured to conduct animal experiments? Or maybe you still do?

COLAAB founding member @ertrunnell.bsky.social shares her experience as a PhD student in this blog for @justifyglobal.bsky.social.

#phdlife #phdchat #phdsky
December 2, 2025 at 2:44 PM
thecolaab.bsky.social
Last week, we offered our assistance to #NIH officials in advancing the agency's goal of reforming grant review to better prioritize human-based research.

We also recommended additional steps the agency could take to further mitigate #AnimalMethodsBias in the review process.

#grantreview #scipol
November 25, 2025 at 1:03 PM
thecolaab.bsky.social
We were honored to receive @lushprize.bsky.social's Major Science Collaboration prize last year. Excited to see this year's nominees!
lushprize.bsky.social Lush Prize @lushprize.bsky.social · Nov 24
Check out the Lush Prize for Major Science Collaboration and nominate your project by Friday: lushprize.org/nominate-ent...
November 25, 2025 at 1:45 AM
thecolaab.bsky.social
The UK Home Office's new strategy, "Replacing animals in science: A strategy to support the development, validation and uptake of alternative methods," is an important step toward embracing nonanimal methods.

We took a look at how it will help mitigate #AnimalMethodsBias. 🧵

#scipub #scipol 🧪
A graphic with a photo of Big Ben on the left and the following text: "Animal methods bias update. UK Home Office will take measures to reduce animal methods bias in publishing. New strategy promises to: "Strengthen the commitment of journal editors to publishing research using alternative methods."" The COLAAB logo is in the bottom right corner.
November 13, 2025 at 2:30 PM
thecolaab.bsky.social
💡 In this Expert Insights article from Centre for Human Specific Research, Dr. Dania Movia of @maynoothuniversity.ie talks about what it took for her to establish an animal-free respiratory research lab.

humanspecificresearch.org/the-path-to-...

@muresearch.bsky.social 🧪 #NAMs
The Path to Founding a Human-Focused Research Lab: Expert Insights from Dr Dania Movia | Centre For Human Specific Research
Leading the way in animal-free technologies:  The Centre for Human Specific Research holds its first organ-on-chip training masterclass.
humanspecificresearch.org
November 5, 2025 at 6:51 PM
thecolaab.bsky.social
🧛‍♂️ Happy Halloween! What’s scarier than a bad review?

🍬 Reviewers handing out ‘add animal experiments’ comments like candy—even when your human-based study is solid.

👻 Don’t let #AnimalMethodsBias haunt your next paper.

Learn how to protect your work: www.animalmethodsbias.org
Well-known 4-panel meme of SpongeBob SquarePants reading a paper and then throwing the paper into the fire and warming his hands. In this version, the paper reads, "Reviewer 3: "These in vitro findings must be validated in an animal model," and SpongeBob is wearing a purple witch hat.
October 31, 2025 at 12:43 PM
Reposted by Coalition to Illuminate and Address Animal Methods Bias
mvangriensven.bsky.social
Unfortunately this is still happening… see my post where in one week two papers were rejected after we did all the experiments asked for revision except a full animal experiment just as it was “nice to have” according to one reviewer!
thecolaab.bsky.social Coalition to Illuminate and Address Animal Methods Bias @thecolaab.bsky.social · Oct 20
Has a reviewer ever suggested you perform an extra experiment? 🧪

We’re guessing most of you will say yes.

In 2011, Hidde Ploegh dubbed these suggestions “reviewer experiments” and boldly called for an end to their “wasteful tyranny.”

#SciPub #PeerReview #Reviewer3 #Bioethics
Screenshot from the April 27, 2011 Nature World View article by Hidde Ploegh titled "End the wasteful tyranny of reviewer experiments." The authors of this post have added to the title, making it "End the wasteful tyranny of reviewer animal experiments." The article has been accessed 18,000 times, cited 41 times, and has an altmetric score of 488. The subtitle reads: "Peer review of scientific papers in top journals is bogged down by unnecessary demands for extra lab work, argues Hidde Ploegh."
October 21, 2025 at 1:22 PM
thecolaab.bsky.social
Has a reviewer ever suggested you perform an extra experiment? 🧪

We’re guessing most of you will say yes.

In 2011, Hidde Ploegh dubbed these suggestions “reviewer experiments” and boldly called for an end to their “wasteful tyranny.”

#SciPub #PeerReview #Reviewer3 #Bioethics
Screenshot from the April 27, 2011 Nature World View article by Hidde Ploegh titled "End the wasteful tyranny of reviewer experiments." The authors of this post have added to the title, making it "End the wasteful tyranny of reviewer animal experiments." The article has been accessed 18,000 times, cited 41 times, and has an altmetric score of 488. The subtitle reads: "Peer review of scientific papers in top journals is bogged down by unnecessary demands for extra lab work, argues Hidde Ploegh."
October 20, 2025 at 12:05 PM
thecolaab.bsky.social
Thanks for highlighting animal methods bias in your piece on shifting from animal testing, @celiaford.bsky.social ! We too see it as one of many barriers standing in the way of broader uptake of nonanimal methods.

Read Celia's piece in @asimovpress.bsky.social
press.asimov.com/articles/ani...
A Shift from Animal Testing
There has been a push toward animal-free alternatives in scientific research. But the success of such alternatives hinges upon whether and where they can outperform standard animal models.
press.asimov.com
October 14, 2025 at 4:51 PM
thecolaab.bsky.social
Mark your calendars! The COLAAB's Dr. Catharine Krebs will be speaking about #AnimalMethodsBias at the 2025 Animalfree Research Foundation Forum.

"Perception and Power: Barriers to Animal-Free Research" will be on Monday, Nov 10 from 7 - 11am EST.

www.animalmethodsbias.org/events/colaa...
A screenshot from Animalfree Research’s registration webpage for “Perception and Power: Barriers to Animal-Free Research.” The description reads: “Our 15th Forum on the barriers to animal-free research will take place on 10th November 2025 at the Volkshaus Zurich. It is aimed at all people interested in animal-free research and will be held in English. We accept registrations until 5th November 2025.” On the right, there’s a photo of a fluffy orange cat looking into an oval mirror with an ornate gold frame. A lion is reflected in the mirror, looking back at the cat.
September 22, 2025 at 3:11 PM
thecolaab.bsky.social
It’s #PeerReviewWeek! We're raising awareness about a methods-based peer review bias, akin to methodological dogmatism or scholarly bias.

#AnimalMethodsBias: reviewers' preference for animal-based methods or lack of expertise leading to unfair assessments of animal-free studies

#SciPub 🧪

🧵
Text over a photograph of people's hands and arms looking over papers, fading to blue. The text reads: "Fair peer review is critical - for science, for patients, and for animals. This Peer Review Week, we call on publishers, funders, and meta-researchers to investigate and address Animal Methods Bias."
September 15, 2025 at 7:24 PM
thecolaab.bsky.social
Experiences like what @mvangriensven.bsky.social
has been through are why we formed the @thecolaab.bsky.social.

No one should be coaxed into doing experiments on animals just because manuscript reviewers think they “would be nice to have.”
LinkedIn post from Martijn van Griensven, Chair of the Department CBITE at MERLN, Maastricht University. The post reads: "we have now two papers rejected after revision just because we did not include in vivo experiments! We have a lot of in vitro data and that is also acknowledged by the reviewers. But for each paper, one of the reviewers wants in vivo data as that would be nice to have....and then after revising all the comments and stating in vivo is out of the scope and with getting the licence etc. would be more than one year we cannot include in vivo data, the editors of "International Journal of Biological Macromolecules" from Elsevier and "Frontiers in Biotechnology and bioengineering" just rejected it on that fact.... they should state in their guidelines you cannot publish with them without in vivo data...(which is going against the trend of trying to diminish in vivo experiments)...." It has been liked 490 times, has 50 comments, had has been shared in 19 reposts.
September 9, 2025 at 6:16 PM
thecolaab.bsky.social
🚨 New findings of #AnimalMethodsBias! 🧪

Just published in NAM Journal, our study surveyed India-based researchers about their experiences with animal methods bias in the #peerreview of manuscripts and grant applications:

www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Screenshot from the PDF version of the linked paper, "A survey to evaluate animal methods bias experienced by India-based researchers in the peer review of manuscripts and grant applications."
August 25, 2025 at 3:37 PM
thecolaab.bsky.social
Attn #WC13 attendees: Don't miss this talk by COLAAB member @ertrunnell.bsky.social

She'll discuss what #AnimalMethodsBias is, the evidence for it, & how @thecolaab.bsky.social has been working to reduce barriers for #NAMs scientists.

Wed at 11:30!

www.animalmethodsbias.org/events/colaa...
Graphic showing the logo for the 2025 13th World Congress on Alternatives and Animal Use in the Life Sciences, a background image of Rio de Janeiro, and a photo of Emily Trunnell. The text reads: “3Rs Integrating 3 Worlds. Human, Animal, and Environmental Health. August 31 – September 5, 2025. Addressing animal methods bias in scientific publishing. Wed Sept 3 11:30am. Session #74. I am speaking!”
August 22, 2025 at 12:29 PM
thecolaab.bsky.social
Another COLAAB recommendation takes flight! 🕊️

On July 7, NIH announced it will no longer exclude #NAMs from #NOFOs or seek animal-only proposals. 🧪

These are key steps to curb #AnimalMethodsBias, as suggested in our 2024 workshop report: www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
July 9, 2025 at 10:19 PM
thecolaab.bsky.social
In June, @nature.com announced it will make transparent peer review the norm for research articles. Reviewer comments and author responses will be published alongside articles, something @thecolaab.bsky.social has long advocated for as a way to track #AnimalMethodsBias.

#peerreview #transparency 🧪
Graphic with an image of several beige doors in a row, with one orange open door. Text on the graphic reads: "Update. Nature commits to transparent peer review. As of June 16, all new research articles submitted to the journal will automatically include the reviewers' reports and authors responses. Policies like these can facilitate the identification and mitigation of animal methods bias." At the bottom is the COLAAB logo and website: www.animalmethodsbias.org.
July 1, 2025 at 12:25 PM
thecolaab.bsky.social
Don't miss this @cp-cellstemcell.bsky.social interview with Dan Tagle, Director of the Office for Special Initiatives at NCATS. Dr. Tagle gives a nod to the COLAAB-recommended actions NIH will take to mitigate #AnimalMethodsBias. 🧪

doi.org/10.1016/j.st...
Quote graphic with a blue background and large yellow and red circles. The quote reads, "[G]rant review staff will participate in mitigation training to address any possible bias toward animal studies and integrate experts on alternative methods into study sections." and is attributed to Danilo Tagle, Ph.D., Director of the Office for Special Initiatives, National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences and includes his headshot. The quote is from the Cell Stem Cell paper DOI: 10.1016/j.stem.2025.05.009. The COLAAB logo is at the bottom left.
June 12, 2025 at 2:34 PM
thecolaab.bsky.social
💡 #AnimalMethodsBias is in the news again in this important @vox.com piece on federal efforts to reduce animal experimentation.

This systemic bias favors animal-based studies over translatable, human-based methods—and it's long overdue for scrutiny.

🔗 www.vox.com/future-perfe...

🧪
The massive stakes of the Trump administration’s plans to end animal testing
Is Trump doing the right thing on animal research for the wrong reasons?
www.vox.com
May 19, 2025 at 6:05 PM
thecolaab.bsky.social
🚨 Big news! Yesterday, NIH announced a new initiative to prioritize human-based research technologies and reduce animal use. The initiative includes measures to overcome barriers to the broader use of human-based methods, including #AnimalMethodsBias! 🧪

www.nih.gov/news-events/...
NIH to prioritize human-based research technologies
New initiative aims to reduce use of animals in NIH-funded research.
www.nih.gov
April 30, 2025 at 6:35 PM
thecolaab.bsky.social
👇 This is tomorrow! See you there! Don’t forget to register:
us06web.zoom.us/meeting/regi...
April 23, 2025 at 12:22 PM
thecolaab.bsky.social
💥 In case you missed it! 💥

Our #3Rs Training Webinar hosted by @jhucaat.bsky.social about #AnimalMethodsBias has been posted to YouTube! In it, you’ll hear about the latest survey evidence, how you can prevent and address biased reviews, & other COLAAB projects 👇 🧪

www.youtube.com/watch?v=iW3w...
3Rs Training Webinar: Addressing Reviewers’ Preference for Animal-Based Methods
YouTube video by jhucaat
www.youtube.com
April 22, 2025 at 11:47 AM