3ROCKIT: Virtual Twins and AI-Driven Technologies Pioneering Animal-Free Medicine
In the medicine of the future, personalized computational models, known as virtual human twins, could help plan individual therapies. Already today, human organs can be represented on chips and in petri dishes: researchers are working on computational methods and in-vitro technologies aimed at reducing or even replacing animal testing. The new 3R Center 3ROCKIT at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) is advancing the development of such replacement methods. Starting January 1, 2025, it will join the state-wide 3R network in Baden-Württemberg and receive annual funding of €100,000 for three years. (Source: Karlsruhe Institute of Technology – Press Releases)
3ROCKIT (Replace Reduce Refine Organismal Research by Computational and Cellular technologies@KIT) follows a 6R principle in its concept: In addition to the 3R goals of reducing (Reduce), replacing (Replace), and refining (Refine) animal testing, it ensures that all experimental plans are statistically robust (Robustness), all experiments are registered (Registration), and even negative results are published (Reporting).
The center, led by Dr. Nicole Jung, is part of the KIT Health Technologies Center (KITHealthTech), where researchers work across disciplines on digital and technological solutions for the healthcare system. “The development of technologies to replace animal testing is a crucial element for sustainable research, particularly in the natural and medical sciences,” says Professor Oliver Kraft, KIT Vice President for Research. “The funding of 3ROCKIT within the state-wide 3R network demonstrates that KIT has set the right course.”
Digital Technologies and Deep Neural Network Algorithms
Digital technologies and deep neural network algorithms play a central role at 3ROCKIT. The six research areas of the 3R center focus on creating digital twins to advance personalized medicine, constructing biomaterials, and developing intelligent surgical assistance systems. “The use of artificial intelligence has opened a new dimension for 3R research, enabling faster, highly precise results and significantly reducing the number of animals used,” says Professor Ute Schepers, spokesperson for the KIT Health Technologies Center.
Simulating Drugs and Therapies Digitally
Digital methods allow researchers to predict the effects of chemicals on cell functions and calculate their biological distribution and impact within the body. One research area focuses on training datasets for the “virtual human twin”: these personalized computational models enable better risk assessment and tailored therapies for individual patients.
Researchers at 3ROCKIT are also working on AI-driven autonomous laboratories to develop in-vitro methods such as “organ-on-a-chip” technologies and organoids, which are three-dimensional tissue-like structures. Both techniques make it possible to replicate physiological processes outside the human body using cells from patients. Additionally, the “3D Printing Center” consolidates resources for creating 3D prints used for materials like polymers, metals, glass, and even tissues.
With the inclusion of 3ROCKIT, the state-wide 3R network in Baden-Württemberg will consist of eight institutions working with various approaches to alternative testing methods. In addition to KIT, the network will also include Hochschule Furtwangen and the University of Ulm in the future.
KIT/A. Karbe, 05.11.2024
Note: The article has been translated from German to English. It is based on a press release from KIT.
The original press release can be found at:
Ersatzmethoden für Tierversuche: Land fördert Forschung am KIT (only in german)
Localization in Helmholtz Information:
Helmholtz Information, Program 3: Materials Systems Engineering
Contact:
Prof. Dr. Ute Schepers
Institute of Functional Interfaces
Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT)
Phone: +49 721-608-23444
E-Mail: ute.schepers@kit.edu
Dr. Nicole Jung
Institute of Organic Chemistry (IOC)
Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT)
Phone: +49 721-608-24697
E-Mail: nicole.jung@kit.edu
Contact for this press release:
Antje Karbe
Press Officer
Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT)
Phone: +49 721-608-41186
E-Mail: antje.karbe@kit.edu
About Helmholtz Information:
The Research Field “Helmholtz Information” is one of the six research fields of the Helmholtz Association and serves as its digital innovation center. Here, advanced and future computer architectures merge with insights from materials research, data science, and life sciences. Inspired by nature, supported by brain research, and enriched by modern approaches in artificial intelligence, experts from the Forschungszentrum Jülich, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon, and the Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin are shaping the digital future in science, business, and everyday life.
Visit our official website and follow us on our LinkedIn channel of Helmholtz Information to receive up-to-date information, event announcements, and insights into our research activities in Helmholtz Information.
