Welcome to Go3R by Dr. Michael R. Alvers

Our project aims at developing a knowledge-based search engine for alternative methods to animal experiments in order to provide optimal search options for alternatives to animal experimentation.

The first step consists of developing an ontology for the knowledge domain of alternative methods to animal experiments. Such an ontology represents a system of knowledge which permits logical deductions as a result of the numerous relationships between terms describing alternative methods it contains – in rough analogy to the possible connections between synapses in the brain.

The results expected from the project correspond to the following work schedule:
* constructing an ontology for alternative methods to animal experimentation,
* a knowledge-based search engine for alternative methods to animal experiments and
* an on-line information retrieval system for alternative methods to animal experiments

Update: BASF SE and Transinsight GmbH, a provider of semantic search technologies for Web 2.0, have agreed to establish close cooperation in the area of semantic analyses to search for alternatives to animal testing.

Together with the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (Bundesinstitut für Risikobewertung BfR), both companies will expand the first specialized semantic search engine for this research area called www.Go3R.org to become a global internet platform. In the future, experts from all over the world will be able to use this platform to bring together their knowledge on alternative and supplementary methods to animal testing.

For over 20 years, BASF has been committed to establishing alternative and supplementary methods. Since 2004, the company has been developing and validating alternatives to animal testing in its own alternatives laboratory with a research budget of 2 million euros per year. Even now alternative methods are employed in 25 percent of all the company’s tests. “We are striving to increase this proportion. Transinsight’s semantic search supports us in this endeavour. With the help of this highly promising technology, we – just like any other potential user – can browse the internet, internal sources, patents and specialized databases much more efficiently than before when searching for information on meaningful approaches to new alternative methods”, explains Dr Robert Landsiedel, Head of the Short Term Toxicology Department at BASF.

Transinsight’s semantic search engine also finds related terms and web pages that are relevant for the respective search term and thus provides considerably more accurate and comprehensive search results than conventional full text search engines. “Go3R will make a tremendous contribution to improving the process of searching for information on alternative methods”, states Dr Michael R. Alvers, CEO of Transinsight. “To achieve this, we are transferring the Wikipedia concept – the largest internet encyclopaedia compiled by the community – to semantic networks of terms. Currently, this is the most efficient way to achieve a large knowledge base within a short period of time and thus to significantly reduce the amount of animal testing in the long term”, Alvers continues.

The www.Go3R.org platform is already available online. The service is free of charge.  Check it out!