“We want to offer everyone the opportunity to learn”

From idea to educational platform

The concept for the 3Rs InfoHub began in 2019, when Vivian and her colleague Christian Zoschke were both teaching at the Institute of Pharmacy. “We realized that most of our students, future pharmacists, industry professionals, and regulators, were never really introduced to the 3Rs,” she explains. “They’d go through their entire training without ever really hearing about alternatives to animal testing.” Rather than accept that gap, they built a solution. “We saw a lot of great material online, but it was scattered,” says Vivian. “We would search for it via a search engine and get overwhelmed by the results. So, we thought: what if we could gather the best resources in one place, categorize them clearly, and make it easy to navigate?” The result is the 3Rs InfoHub, an open-access, English-language platform that bundles together videos, podcasts, articles, and self-created learning tools. It’s visually intuitive, color-coded by topic (green for replacement, blue for reduction, and orange for refinement), and requires no registration or payment. “We wanted it to be easy,” Vivian says. “Just click and learn.”

Designed by students

While the scientific direction of the platform comes from Vivian and her team, the heart of the InfoHub is student powered. “We were lucky,” she smiles. “One of our pharmacy students had a background in game design. She created our logo and the visual interface. Those clickable icons, the site’s structure. That set the tone for everything.” From there, more students joined. They researched topics, designed infographics, filmed educational videos, and even launched a podcast series. “The student energy really brought the site to life,” says Vivian. The podcasts, available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Google Podcasts, began as student-led projects. “During the pandemic, some of our students decided to interview a former professor,” she recalls. “They had no experience, but they made it work. And now we have six episodes, mostly in English, some in German, covering topics from organ-on-chip systems to neurological models.”

A learning platform that grows with its users

The InfoHub evolves constantly. “We started with what we knew best: liver, kidney, and skin models,” Vivian explains. “These are central in pharmacology and toxicology, which is our department’s focus. But then we expanded into brain, lung, reproductive system and the heart.” The content is designed for progressive learning. “Some videos are very basic. They explain, for example, how neurons work,” she says. “Others go deeper into techniques like mini-brains or organoids. That way, both newcomers and more advanced students can benefit.” The site now also includes interactive quizzes where users can test their knowledge on subjects like lung physiology or skin biology after watching related content.

3Rs InfoHub Pro

In 2024, the team launched a new branch of the project: 3Rs InfoHub Pro, aimed at supporting university educators. “Not all lecturers have the time or resources to prepare a lesson on non-animal methods,” Vivian explains. “So we thought: let’s do the prep work for them.” This section will offer plug-and-play teaching materials, ready-to-use slides, videos, and classroom activities, with a focus on replacement methods. The team is also piloting virtual lab tours using 360-degree photos of their own institute. “You can walk through the lab, see the equipment, and watch an introductory video on brain physiology,” Vivian says. “It’s in early stages, but it’s exciting.”

A passion project

Unlike many institutional platforms, the InfoHub runs on a shoestring. “We’re not funded,” says Vivian. “We received a small internal e-learning grant at the beginning, just enough to hire a few student assistants. But since then, it’s mostly voluntary.” That hasn’t stopped the platform from making waves. “It’s being used at our university, of course, but also at other institutions across Germany and beyond,” she says. “The global education hub from the Netherlands is even taking notice. We’re proud of that.” Vivian also promotes the InfoHub during outreach events from the NATLAB, a University initiative encouraging girls aged 15–19 to explore STEM fields. “We created a special quiz and info package just for them,” she says. “It’s a small thing, but it plants a seed.”

Filling the gap between information and inspiration

Vivian hopes to generate a bridge to connect curiosity to understanding: “When someone starts looking into alternatives to animal testing, it’s easy to get overwhelmed,” she says. “There’s so much out there. Our goal is to take away that barrier, to guide users through it.” This guidance includes helping students learn how to do literature reviews, how to find reliable information, and how to critically assess methods. “Our pharmacy students don’t usually get that kind of training,” she adds. “Now, they do. And they love it.”

The platform also includes content that is explicitly categorized by R-principle and complexity level, ensuring that both beginners and advanced learners find something valuable. “It’s structured, but flexible,” says Vivian. “You can start with the basics and move forward.”

Challenges and the road ahead

Maintaining the website with limited time and no stable funding is no easy task. “We try to update the InfoHub every six months,” says Vivian. “That means checking links, adding new videos, filling content gaps.” The team is exploring ways to collaborate more internationally, connect with other database creators, and even share resources between platforms. “If we all support each other, the transition to animal-free science becomes much more achievable,” she says. Her wish for the future? “Funding would help,” she laughs. “But more than anything, I hope the InfoHub continues to grow as a trusted, engaging space. If more students and educators use it, if more people feel empowered to question the status quo, that’s a success.”

3Rs InfoHub

Interview: Hannah van der Vegt