By Dr Danielle Sagar, Portfolio Manager, Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC)
The complexities of research across disciplines in animal and human biology necessitate a variety of approaches. Often a very large number of different experimental systems (e.g., cell culture, computational approaches, and tissue slices) and species are used to investigate understanding of biological processes. Collectively these are referred to as ‘models’ and are necessary to enable the study of biological processes of target species within a controlled environment. UKRI-BBSRC supports research and innovation which utilises a broad range of models including in vivo, in vitro and in silico approaches.
In June 2020 UKRI-BBSRC, in consultation with The Physiological Society, conducted a survey on the use of models in research to gain insight into how researchers across the academic, industrial and third sectors currently use their experimental systems and models, and how they expect to use them in the future. This was conducted to help UKRI-BBSRC better understand the need of the area, ensure that the health of the discipline is maintained, and opportunities for improvements found.
498 responses were received with the majority from academia, common respondent disciplines included Neuroscience, Genetics and Cell biology.
What the survey showed us about current model use:
- Most researchers are using multiple models.
- The whole organism is the most popular model, other common models were 2D cell culture and tissue/slice
- The fly and mouse were the most common species used, other popular species were zebrafish, human, and yeast.
The responses demonstrated that researchers usually use one species to model another, with humans being the most common intended target. One response quoted:
“I find it interesting to research any species for its own right; but it is true that ultimately, if I think of “benefit” of anything I do, I mostly hold in mind us humans.”
Further, the survey found that researchers are unlikely to change model:
- Only a third of researchers have changed models over the course of their research career with common reasons being: change of research focus, and availability of genetic tools.
- Over 50% of researchers reported working on their model for 10 years or more.
- Only 16%, mainly from outside academia, were considering changing from one model to another.
In fact, the survey responses suggested that non-academic researchers encounter less barriers to model selection compared to academic respondents:
- Non-academic researchers used more models with none solely relying upon a single model and 35% using six or more.
How survey responses predicted future trends in model usage:
- Whole organism will be the most popular model for the future, with mouse and human as the most popular species.
- 2D cell culture, tissue or slice, and computational/in silico will be popular model choices, and there will be a notable increase in the use of organoids (14% to 27%).
- Validation of systems to determine the level of physiological relevance is the most important research area for future model selection. Comparison of in vivo and other systems to identify similarities and differences will also be important.
One response said:
“Whilst further novel models may be useful, better validation and optimisation of current models are going to be the most important.”
Looking forward:
Clearly the use of model systems has been a vital part of both fundamental and translational scientific research and innovation, and overall, whilst the survey acknowledged UKRI-BBSRC support for model research, more is needed to ensure that the appropriate model(s) is being used for the research question. Building on this survey, UKRI-BBSRC working together with The Physiological Society and other funders will enable more robust and reproducible research and innovation.
These results were presented at The Physiological Society’s symposium Experimental Models in Physiology.
The UKRI-BBSRC Survey Report on the Use of Models in Research will be published in 2022.