Hans Clevers receives Animal Welfare Research Prize 2025

As part of their commitment to improve animal welfare, the German Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL) has awarded the 2025 Animal Welfare Research Prize, worth €100,000, to Hans Clevers. Clevers was nominated for his leading role in the development of organoids, miniature organs that can be grown in the lab. This technology has had a major impact on reducing and replacing animal testing in biomedical research. Organoids mimic both the structure and function of real organs and can be used to address biological and medical questions that previously required animal models.

Parliamentary State Secretary Ophelia Nick commented: “Hans Clevers and his team laid the foundation for organoid research and hence provide a vital contribution to further reducing animal testing to the necessary minimum in the future.”

Discovery of organoids through fundamental research

During the award ceremony, Hans Clevers explained how his team at the Hubrecht Institute discovered organoids more or less by chance, highlighting the importance of fundamental research. Clevers and his team have developed a method that allows stem cells to multiply indefinitely and form organoids in the lab.

Hans Clevers: “It is important to know that organoids will replace many animal experiments, but never all of them. All animals, including human beings, are much more than the sum of their parts, and many parts together make up a body. But even though organoids are very reductionist, they often give us better answers on how humans will respond to disease or to drugs than animals or cell lines in a lab will do.”

Next step: 2D organoids for broader applications

The prize money will be used to support research at the Hubrecht Institute, where Clevers and his team plan to scale up organoid production. This includes both translational research and industrial applications. A key focus will be the development of organoids as flat 2D sheets. While organoids are traditionally grown as 3D structures, transitioning to a 2D format offers several significant advantages. In a 2D setup, the cells are easier to culture and observe. Additionally, it becomes more practical to test a wide range of drugs simultaneously. Moreover, the natural cellular organization is maintained, ensuring biological relevance. Read more on the method that will allow these developments here.

More information about the award can be found on the website of The Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL). The full award ceremony can be rewatched on Youtube.