Hollywood star Mark Rylance has added his voice to the calls for the University of Bristol to stop conducting forced swim test on rats. The Oscar-winning actor has penned an open letter to the university's vice chancellor, Hugh Brady, to ask him to reconsider the use of the 'cruel' experiments.
The tests see rats, which may or may not have been dosed with a substance, placed into inescapable beakers of water. They are then tested for the time it takes for them to stop swimming and start floating. The experiments are conducted to research depression and other mental health conditions in humans, and the university says it is "committed to a culture of care where animals are treated with compassion and respect."
But animal rights organisation PETA have been protesting against the university for more than a year, and Mark Rylance has now given them his support. In his letter, Rylance writes: "I recently performed in Bristol, and it’s come to my attention that a cruel, useless experiment called the forced swim test is being conducted at your university.
"I am therefore writing to add my name to the tens of thousands of other PETA supporters who have already contacted you about these experiments and to urge you to put an end to them. As you are no doubt aware, this test forces rats to experience the fear of drowning.
"Researchers put the small animals into inescapable beakers of water, in which they have no choice but to paddle frantically as they search for an escape. This experiment not only terrifies the animals but also hinders the development of successful treatments for human conditions.
"The scientists at PETA tell me that these experiments are used in attempts study human conditions such as depression but that the test is not required or beneficial for producing new antidepressant treatments for humans. This leaves one question: why are these experiments continuing at the University of Bristol?
"I’m urging you to listen to the science and end these tests immediately. By doing so, the University of Bristol would be joining King’s College London and major pharmaceutical companies including Pfizer, AstraZeneca, and Johnson & Johnson, which have all confirmed that they will not conduct forced swim experiments following a campaign by PETA entities.
"Thank you for your attention to this important issue. I look forward to hearing from you."
Rylance, who recently finished performing in Dr Semmelweiss at the Bristol Old Vic, is known for his involvement in activist causes. PETA have been campaigning against the forced swim test at the university since 2020, and recently gained support from West of England metro mayor Dan Norris.
According to the group, the forced swim test has recently been debunked for its use in depression research in a scientific paper initiated by the Home Office, which concluded that the test cannot predict the efficacy of potential new antidepressant drugs, is a poor model of depression, and could even rule out effective new drugs for humans. Their campaign has led 15 companies and two universities, including King’s College London, to declare that they won't the forced swim test in the future.
A spokesperson for the University of Bristol said: “As a research university, we are committed to a culture of care where animals are treated with compassion and respect. We are in regular conversation with the National Centre for the Replacement, Refinement and Reduction and Animals in Research (NC3Rs) and the Home Office, as well scientific societies and academic colleagues, so we can keep up to date with the latest thinking on all aspects of research using animals.
“We have ethical review processes in place which look at each research project individually to provide constructive feedback and to ensure that the most refined and appropriate methods are being used. We acknowledge that some people have concerns about the use of animals in research, but we also recognise that research involving animals is vital for advances in medical, veterinary and scientific knowledge to improve our understanding of health and disease and the lives of both animals and humans.”
