Responsibility for care and breeding

A number of Max Planck Institutes working in biology have their own animal houses in which they keep mice, insects, fish or birds. They serve as model organisms for animal experiments, for example to develop new diagnostic procedures and therapies against diseases.

Animal keepers care for and feed the animals, keep their cages and stables clean and look after them. They are also responsible for rearing young animals. They identify signs of illness, carry out treatments and interventions and take part in experiments and tests. Blood sampling and immunization as well as pain relief and anaesthesia also fall within their remit. They help in the laboratory with the examination and analysis of cell and tissue samples.