An aerial view of the National Institute of Environmental Research in Seo-gu, Incheon [National Institute of Environmental Research]
An aerial view of the National Institute of Environmental Research in Seo-gu, Incheon [National Institute of Environmental Research]

The National Institute of Environmental Research, an agency under the Ministry of Climate, Environment and Energy, said Monday it is releasing 10 training materials to help industry and academic practitioners build expertise in alternative animal testing methods, covering the principles, procedures and toxicity assessment approaches involved.

The materials draw on the institute's research capabilities to advance the "field-tailored infrastructure" component of the Ministry of Climate, Environment and Energy's Alternative Animal Testing Activation Plan (2022–2030).

Since 2024, the institute has produced a total of 15 training materials on alternative animal testing methods, including 13 e-books and two instructional videos with detailed testing procedures.

The 10 materials released Monday consist of nine voice-enabled e-books and one instructional video.

The e-books cover the principles, procedures and toxicity assessment information for three health-impact test methods — including in vitro immunotoxicity testing — as well as the validation research methods and procedures required for the international standardization of alternative animal testing methods.

The instructional video guides practitioners through the principles and detailed procedures of an in vitro skin sensitization test method, with the aim of improving its applicability in industry and academic settings.

The release is expected to deepen practitioners' understanding and use of alternative animal testing methods, while also accelerating the field application of test methods revised or newly adopted at OECD working-party meetings.

The institute plans to continue expanding and refining its training materials to support the broader adoption of alternative animal testing methods across industry. All materials are available free of charge starting Monday through the Ministry of Climate, Environment and Energy's Industry Support Center website.

"The importance of alternative animal testing methods is growing in terms of responding to international regulations," said Kim Su-jin, head of the institute's Environmental Health Research Division. "We hope these newly released materials will be of practical help to industry and to those working in alternative animal testing."


thlee@heraldcorp.com