Awarded a seal of quality: The “Understanding Animal Testing” initiative recognizes the commitment of the Institute for Laboratory Animal Science.
Honored for “exemplary communications in animal research”: Professor André Bleich (right). Copyright: TVV/Jana Wilken
For the past five years, the “Understanding Animal Experimentation” initiative has annually awarded the “Exemplary Communications of Animal Experimentation Research” seal of quality to scientific facilities or institutions that stand out for their innovative approaches to communications about animal experimentation research. Last week, the Hannover Medical School (MHH) was awarded the seal. The award recognizes the institution’s open, authentic, and courageous Communications—in particular, the film “A Day in the Animal Laboratory—This Is How It Really Is!”
According to the laudatory speech, the MHH, in collaboration with YouTuber Tomatolix, sent a bold message of openness and transparency with the film “A Day in the Animal Laboratory—This Is How It Really Is!” Prof. Dr. André Bleich, Director of the Institute of Laboratory Animal Science and Central Animal Laboratory at the MHH, along with his team, opened the laboratories to an external social media film crew, thereby providing an authentic and firsthand look at their animal husbandry and animal research.
The Tomatolix video, which runs just under half an hour, offers an unvarnished, honest look at the daily work with laboratory animals—from animal care to research. “We made a conscious decision to offer a look behind the scenes—even if there is a risk of provoking criticism,” said Professor Bleich. “Because only through transparency can we contribute to shaping public opinion. We took a chance on this format to reach a broad audience.” With nearly 880,000 views to date, the video by the well-known YouTuber is reaching a predominantly young audience.
Professor Bleich accepted the seal on behalf of the MHH on October 1, 2026, at the Kaiserin-Friedrich-Haus in Berlin during the event marking the initiative’s tenth anniversary. The award is valid for three years. “Understanding Animal Testing” provides information about animal testing at publicly funded research institutions to contribute to an objective discussion on the topic. The initiative is coordinated by the Alliance of Science Organizations, an association of Germany’s leading science and research organizations.
Click here to watch the Tomatolix video on YouTube.
Text: Bettina Bandel