The documentary FUTURE SCIENCE – Das Ende der Tierversuche? explores one of the most consequential transformations currently under way in biomedical research and safety assessment: the transition from animal testing towards human-relevant, technology-enabled approaches.
Directed by Marc Pierschel, the film brings together researchers, innovators and other voices working to make research and testing more predictive, scientifically robust and ethically responsible. It examines the entrenched scientific, economic and regulatory systems that have long supported the use of animals in research, while presenting the emerging methods that offer a different path forward. These include multi-organ chips, 3D bioprinting and artificial intelligence, which can help simulate aspects of human biology, improve the understanding of disease, support safer medicine development and strengthen the assessment of chemicals and everyday products.
CHIASMA is pleased to note that the film features two members of the CHIASMA consortium: Dr Melanie Ort, who was affiliated with Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin at the time of filming and is now with CHIASMA partner Medical University of Innsbruck (MUI); and Prof. Dr Ellen Fritsche, of DNTOX GmbH and the Swiss Centre for Applied Human Toxicology (SCAHT), University of Basel, a CHIASMA partner. Both are among the film’s featured contributors.
Their participation reflects the relevance of the film’s central theme to CHIASMA’s mission. The project develops and integrates New Approach Methodologies (NAMs), improved life-cycle impact assessment approaches and a Safe and Sustainable by Design framework for chemicals and advanced materials. In doing so, CHIASMA contributes to the scientific, regulatory and practical conditions needed for reliable, human-relevant and sustainable safety assessment.
FUTURE SCIENCE invites audiences to consider not only what new methods can achieve, but also how scientific innovation can be translated into lasting change. By placing the experiences of researchers and pioneers at the centre of the story, the documentary makes the ongoing transition towards animal-free and human-relevant science tangible for a broad public.
The 78-minute documentary is directed by Marc Pierschel and is classified for viewers aged 12 and above. Information on screenings and the film is available on the Future Science website: https://futuresciencefilm.de/
