Research code

Animal models are an important part of medical research. At WEHI, the use of animals has been essential to making discoveries that have helped millions of people around the world. We are committed to the highest standards of animal welfare, adhering to rigorous protocols and ensuring full compliance with strict guidelines and relevant legislation.

To support and streamline this work, WEHI has developed a secure state-of-the-art system for easily managing animal ethics, colonies, and animal-related research activities. The Animal Management System (AMS) is distributed and supported by WEHI company, Research Code Pty Ltd and is available to the research community for purchase.

Extensive coordination is essential to ensure full compliance in the use of animal models, including the organisation of animal ethics applications, effective management of animal colonies, and streamlined work planning. This structured approach supports accurate monitoring of disease strains and timelines, helping to uphold the highest standards of research integrity and regulatory compliance.

The AMS addresses these challenges and simplifies operational workflows for both researchers and animal facilities.

• Animal welfare and ethics, approval workflows and reporting
• Colony management
• Management of strains including breeding strategies and genetic testing
• Operational and compliance reporting such as animal use returns based on recorded usage and procedural data
• Standard operating procedures
• Work management
• Enclosure label printing and scanning
• Agistment and work cost reporting

Launched in 2016, the AMS capitalises on multidisciplinary expertise at WEHI, spanning software development, animal facility management and research ethics.

The AMS was designed by a multidisciplinary team led by Elaine Major and Richard McGrath with additional support provided by Michael Carolan. Together the team has decades of experience in animal facility management and software development.

Continuous feedback from a wide range of internal and external stakeholders — including ethics officers, animal technicians, and scientists — has been essential to the ongoing success of the system. Their practical insights have helped refine AMS workflows and improve the user experience, ensuring the platform remains aligned with the needs of those working across all stages of the research process.

The AMS has allowed researchers to do more with their animal research, reduce costs and increase accuracy, all while ensuring compliance with animal welfare guidelines and relevant legislation.

Looking to the future, the AMS team will continue building enhancements to deliver optimal outcomes for users. The development pipeline includes additional functionality and reporting capabilities.

The AMS platform has been adopted by several medical research institutes and universities and is available to new clients. Contact the Research Code team for further information.