Nestled among photographs, research data and glossy studies of animal enrichment, a curious sign hangs on professor Marian Diamond's office wall. "A memorial," it reads. "I wish to express my deepest appreciation to all the rats whose brains contributed to my research, which has the potential to benefit humanity."

After 35 years of rat research, Diamond's attitude-like that of other campus researchers­-is that animal testing is a vital step in translating lab work into tangible benefits for society.

But with growing controversy over animal welfare, the answer to whether scientists can perform animal research humanely-and just how prevalent it is­ on campus-is still a bit hairy.

In the past few years, there have been almost 20 attacks on UC Berkeley researchers and more at other campuses, leading the governor to pass the Researcher Protection Act of 2008 in September. The act made it a misdemeanor to publish personal information about researchers with the intent of using it to threaten or attack them.

Many researchers and graduate students who work with live animals

declined to be interviewed because they said they feared repercussions from animal rights activists.

Despite drawing criticism for poor lab conditions and dangerous surgical procedures, UC Berkeley follows regulations set by the National Institute of Health and the Animal Welfare Act along with the other UC campuses, said Helen Diggs, campus veterinarian and director of the Office of Laboratory Animal Care. The act requires that animals be given humane living conditions, anesthesia for surgery and adequate recovery time.

Although she said she could not release the total number of animals used for research at UC Berkeley, Diggs said most lab animals-about 70 percent-are rodents. Her office monitors 10,000 rodent cages on campus.

Of the remaining animals, Diggs said, almost 30 percent are cold-blooded fish, reptiles and amphibians. The last 1 percent is comprised of birds, primates and other mammals.

Ted Papenfuss, a research specialist at the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology who works with 20 Mexican banana salamanders in his lab, said campus regulations regarding lab animals are quite strict. He said animals are always kept healthy and in clean condition.

"The animals are, I would say, certainly better cared for than generally people who may keep a pet frog or a pet snake in their own house," he said.

Diggs said members of the UC Berkeley animal care program and the other UC programs meet twice a year to ensure animal treatment policies are applied consistently across the system. She said there are more than 50 caretakers at UC Berkeley, who check in on animals daily at 7 a.m. and are on call for emergencies.

But Elliot Katz, a veterinarian and founder of the animal advocacy group In Defense of Animals, said although the program has improved animal care, there is not enough transparency when it comes to what kind of research actually occurs.

"The gross irresponsibility, the cleaning of the cages, the care of the animals are under control," he said. "But the gruesome nature of actual research is hard to ascertain because of its closed nature."

The group won a lawsuit in the 1980s after UC Berkeley was found to have violated the Animal Welfare Act, resulting in a $12,000 fine.

Diggs said she could not release the number of animals that die during research, but her staff continues to care for animals when the research ends.

"We can't release animals back out," she said. "Once they're here with us, they're here forever."

Most campus researchers agreed animal testing was a key component of the research process, but varied in their views on why this was the case.

"You get to learn about the diversity of organisms that are living around us," said graduate student Jean Alupay, who studies coloration and camouflage in tropical octopi on campus. "Some of the things that you learn about you don't see in humans, so it's interesting to learn about in nature."

Others, like Fred Wilt, a professor of the graduate school in molecular and cell biology who studies sea urchin development, said animal research is necessary for scientific advancement.

"One should do it thoughtfully, to make sure that it's essential. But it would be a disaster if we could not use animals for well-vetted research purposes, biomedical outcomes and basic research," he said.

Wilt added that most major accomplishments in biomedicine, including heart transplants and a vaccine for polio, have required animal testing.

Graduate student Guin Wogan, who studies diversification in rice paddy frogs, said creating non-living specimens is key in setting up knowledge banks for future researchers.

"Think of it as taking a time slice of population diversity today," she said. "People are really going to be able to use those specimens in the future."

Diggs said caretakers always do what they think is appropriate and right.

"We want to make sure we are putting out a product that is excellent, that satisfies not only our researchers but us as veterinarians," she said. "If we weren't doing that, we wouldn't be able to sleep at night."

Tags: ANIMAL RESEARCH