Einstein Center for Alternative Methods in Biomedical Research in Berlin established

The Einstein Center for Alternative Methods in Biomedical Research will officially commence work on July 1, 2021. The Einstein Foundation will provide financial support amounting to €5.3 million until the end of 2026, but will make part of its funding subject to the Center's positive interim assessment by the Foundation’s independent research board in 2024. Additional funding will be made available by the State of Berlin.

The Einstein Center 3R (Replace, Reduce, Refine) aims to develop new therapies for human diseases by improving the transferability of research while also taking into view animal welfare. Research will focus on 3D human organoids designed to replace animal testing. These organoids shall resemble human organs as closely as possible in terms of maturity and complexity, i.e., “micro-organs” with vascular or immune systems.

The Einstein Center will accommodate six research projects focusing on the intestines, lung, heart, brain, liver, and neuromuscular junctions, respectively. These will be complemented by two cross-sectional quality assurance projects designed to improve the models and define measures and principles to guide the projects’ research. In addition, the Center will set up an imaging and analysis platform in order to improve the comparability of human and animal-based models regarding the specific characteristics of diseases such as COVID-19.

The Center’s long-term aim is to build a Berlin-wide research network that explores tissue models and develops cutting-edge projects. It will also be involved in education and training as well as communication and outreach programs.