Behind the scenes, I recount experiments I encountered when I was new to laboratory animal work. Scientists infected woodchucks with hepatitis virus and then forced them to drink alcohol-laced smoothies. I show readers what an animal experiment is, and why we have so many different kinds of animals as models of human health. Woodchucks were third in line for Hepatitis B research, largely replacing children and chimpanzees until mice then replaced them.
Mice now continue to be the main workhorse in animal research, dying by the tens of millions each year. In explaining how scientists construct experiments, I highlight their fear of variability and lack of control over their experimental animals, explaining why scientists frequently resist refinements that could make their animals’ lives better. And yet, when scientists aim for happier, healthier lab animals, the animals often become more reliable subjects for their research.
