Researchers at Utah State University are accused of exposing guinea pigs and hamsters to radiation beyond the approved bounds of an experiment and also allegedly withheld pain medication after performing surgeries on the animals, according to a new report.
The report, which was filed by the university, said that 75 of the rodents used in the experiment were irradiated and that some died, though it did not make clear how many.
Stop Animal Exploitation NOW!, an animal rights group and watchdog organization, is calling for the researchers to be fired, according to the Salt Lake Tribune.
When research misconduct occurs publicly funded universities are required to produce documentation about the incident. SAEN obtained USU's misconduct report through an open records request and has since shared it publicly.
The group's executive director, Michael Budkie, called the findings in the report "simply horrific" and has filed a formal complaint with the federal government.
“The violations connected to this project are very serious and demonstrate that the PI [principal investigator] associated with this project believes that they are essentially above the law and can perform whatever procedures they like,” Budkie wrote in a letter to USU.
In his complaint to the federal government, Budkie calls for the Department of Agriculture — which uses inspectors to oversee university research involving animals — to launch a full investigation and to levy the maximum penalty against the university and the researchers for allegedly violating the federal Animal Welfare Act.
The Act establishes rules for caring for laboratory animals and researchers who work with animals are required to go through training to minimize pain and distress caused by animal testing. Any schools that receive federal funding must comply with the law and report any misconduct or violations. While the specific research project was not funded with federal dollars, the care and maintenance of the animals did use federal funds.
The penalties for violating the law can add up quickly. For each violation, a fine of up to $13,000 can be applied, and that amount can be multiplied for each animal harmed as a result of the violation.
USU noted in its misconduct report that 22 guinea pigs and 53 hamsters were irradiated beyond the approved levels. If the maximum fine is applied, it could soar to nearly $1 million.
Ultimately it will be up to federal agencies under the rule of President Donald Trump to determine how the alleged violations at the university are punished. Trump's administration has already made significant cuts to federal research dollars and has terminated numerous projects, including those involving animal testing.
Environmental Protection Agency staff in North Carolina put their animals up for adoption after their research projects were terminated by the Trump administration.
The Independent has requested comment from Utah State University and the Department of Agriculture.
The university told the Salt Lake Tribune that it followed its protocols for reporting the misconduct when it became aware of the issue. USU spokesperson Amanda DeRito told the paper that animal care staff at the school alerted the staff veterinarian and then notified federal authorities once the misconduct was discovered.
All universities conducting animal research using federal funds are required to have an Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee in place to oversee lab animals. USU's IACUC was called in to investigate the misconduct.
According to DeRito, the committee “quickly put a stop to the research activities at issue while they reviewed the situation and took steps to prevent it from reoccurring.”
“Research animals are integral to advances in biomedical research and nearly every major medical advancement in the last century,” she told the paper. “Utah State is strongly committed to the humane treatment of research animals in its care.”
According to the university's investigation, the researcher who irradiated the animals — whose name was not included in the misconduct report — acknowledged that they did not obtain approval for their test but said it was "unintentional."
The Salt Lake Tribune obtained a copy of a response sent to USU from the Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare, which operates under the National Institutes of Health.
OLAW said that USU took "appropriate measures to correct and prevent recurrences of these problems" and noted that the school is now considered compliant with federal regulations regarding animal testing.
“We appreciate being informed of these matters and find no cause for further action by this office,” the letter says.
USU said it has already responded to the incident by disconnecting equipment to prevent further use of the X-ray machines. It has also suspended its guinea pig breeding and surgeries on animals. The principal researcher at the center of the incident has reportedly been limited to only noninvasive procedures and is required to submit monthly reports on their work and attend additional ethics training.
The university has previously received criticism from the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, or PETA, which objected to its use of rats in undergraduate psychology courses.
In those courses, rats were reportedly locked in metal boxes and subjected to random bursts of light to see how they react. PETA called on the university to switch to "superior" methods of teaching that did not involve animals.
DeRito dismissed PETA's complaint.
“PETA grossly misrepresents animal studies in this upper-division psychology class," she told the paper, adding that the lab is only used for positive reinforcement studies and that the experience cannot be replicated using computers.
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