The IMTECH Center for Animal Resources & Experimentation (iCARE) at CSIR-Institute of Microbial Technology (IMTECH), Chandigarh, conducted a five-day National Workshop on Ethical Contemplation of Animal Resources for Experimentation (WeCARE-2025). The workshop was organised from 17 February to 21 February 2025 as part of the CSIR Integrated Skill Initiative. The workshop aimed to provide specialised training in animal handling and biosafety laboratory practices to enhance expertise in biomedical research. More than fifty participants from different academic and research institutes attended the workshop. The intensive training programme emphasised the ethical use of animal resources in research and their role in biotechnology and pharmaceutical advancements, particularly in vaccine development and drug discovery.
Dr Neeraj Khatri, Head, iCARE, CSIR-IMTECH, welcomed the participants and emphasised the the significance of trained personnel in in vivo experimentation. Dr Sanjeev Khosla, Director, CSIR-IMTECH, acknowledged the critical contributions of laboratory animals to medical research and lauded the efforts of the iCARE team in organising the workshop. The workshop was formally inaugurated by Dr Varinder Garg, MBBS, MD (Radiology), PGIMER and OSD to the Union Health Minister. In his address, Dr Garg stressed the importance of interdisciplinary and translational research in addressing societal challenges. The session also featured the release of the workshop manual and the felicitation of the Chief Guest by Dr K Subramanian.
Eminent experts from leading institutions, including NIPER Mohali, CSIR-CFTRI Mysore, Panjab University Chandigarh, and CSIR-IMTECH, delivered comprehensive lectures aligned with the workshop curriculum. Participants were exposed to a rigorous practical evaluation along with theory examination and their feedback was carefully assessed to refine future training programmes.
A highlight of the concluding session was a special lecture on “Zebrafish as a Model System for Research” by the Chief Guest, Prof. Rajat Sandhir from Panjab University, Chandigarh. Following this, certificates of participation were awarded to the successful candidates.
The iCARE facility, situated within the institute, serves as a premier centre for housing and breeding laboratory animals, including inbred, transgenic, and knockout mice, Sprague Dawley rats, Syrian hamsters, and NZW rabbits. Accredited by the CCSEA, Ministry of Fisheries, Dairying, and Animal Husbandry, India, the facility is equipped with state-of-the-art infrastructure to support biomedical research and drug development programmes. The WeCARE-2025 workshop successfully reinforced the importance of ethical animal research while equipping participants with essential skills to advance biomedical and pharmaceutical sciences in India.
