THE HAGUE, 27/10/07 - The Netherlands Toxicogenomics Centre (NTC) will invest 54 million euros in the coming years on the development of tests to establish possible toxicity of chemical substances used for medicines and industrial production. The aim is to develop an alternative to animal testing.

"In vitro testing in combination with genomics will contribute to the development of valuable alternatives for the present testing methods, which are largely dependent on animal testing," according to science institute TNO. It says it will "play a key role in the commercialisation of the knowledge that is to be generated within the NTC."

The NTC unites the efforts of eight well-known research institutes in the area of toxicology and genomics technologies: RIVM, TNO, the RIKILT-Institute for Food Safety, Erasmus MC, LUMC, the University of Leiden, Wageningen University and the University of Maastricht.

NTC has received a government subsidy of 25 million euros for developing alternatives to animal testing with the aid of toxicogenomics technology. Thanks to contributions from its own research institutions and industry, NTC can now invest a total of 54 million euros in developing knowledge and applications in these areas.