<div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div>Dear Colleagues,</div><div><br></div><div>This is extremely important for groups using Xenopus laevis in the EU and requires a response, please circulate it to anyone who you think may have missed it. A risk assessment of X. laevis as an invasive organism has been undertaken by the EU and is open for comment, at the moment it strongly recommends the inclusion of X. laevis on the register. According to the EU's publication (<a href="https://publications.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/6f9e5ecf-c81f-11e6-a6db-01aa75ed71a1/language-en/format-PDF" target="_blank">https://publications.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/6f9e5ecf-c81f-11e6-a6db-01aa75ed71a1/language-en/format-PDF</a>, Page 19), the consequence of X. laevis being added to the register would be that it would become illegal to import them, reproduce them, transport them, sell them, use them, possess them or release them into the environment, although exceptions would be allowed for justified reasons such as research. These exceptions would have a layer of bureaucracy surrounding them so, whist it is unlikely that we would be completely banned from research, it could become yet more difficult. Shockingly, the socio-economic benefits of research using Xenopus laevis are effectively dismissed in one section the 87page document - something we will refute very strongly. In my role as EXRC co-ordinator I'm putting together a detailed response and a draft is out for comment to a small group of Xenopus researchers at the moment, once it is more final it will be circulated to everyone and you can choose whether to add your signature to that, write independently, do both or not respond. I am also contacting DEFRA to talk directly with them about the UK response.</div><div><br></div><div>In the mean time please could you send the following information to <b><a href="mailto:magdalena.moszynska@port.ac.uk" target="_blank">magdalena.moszynska@port.ac.uk</a> by April 1 </b>for inclusion in the response:</div><div><br></div><div>Current grant income and funding sources</div><div>Number of early career researchers currently employed on X.laevis projects</div><div>Total number of students (UG and PG) educated in academic year 2018-19 using X. laevis</div><div><br></div><div>We also felt that responses by individual post-docs explaining how an X. laevis ban would affect them personally could be effective. Please could you encourage your staff, they should aim to send responses to: <a href="mailto:ENV-IAS@ec.europa.eu" target="_blank" style="font-family:Verdana,sans-serif"><i>ENV-IAS@ec.europa.eu</i></a><em style="font-family:Verdana,sans-serif"> </em><span style="font-family:Verdana,sans-serif">by mid-April. The closing date is the end of May but we have been told that the earlier they arrive the more effective they are.</span></div><div><span style="font-family:Verdana,sans-serif"><br></span></div><div><font face="Verdana, sans-serif">Many thanks for your support in this critically important matter, please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions,</font></div><div><font face="Verdana, sans-serif"><br></font></div><div><font face="Verdana, sans-serif">Matt</font></div><div><br></div>-- <br><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div>
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<p><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri">Matt Guille<br>
Professor of Developmental Genetics<br>
University of Portsmouth
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<p><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri">T: 02392 842047 E: <a href="mailto:matthew.guille@port.ac.uk" target="_blank">matthew.guille@port.ac.uk</a><br>
W: </span><a href="http://port.ac.uk/school-of-biological-sciences/staff/prof-matt-guille.html" target="_blank">port.ac.uk/school-of-biological-sciences/staff/prof-matt-guille.html</a></p>
<p><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri">University of Portsmouth, King Henry building, King Henry I Street, Portsmouth, PO1 2DY</span></p><p><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri"><br></span></p><p>
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