USA: In an effort to create a brain-computer interface (BCI) chip that will allow people to operate machines with their minds, Elon Musk's Neuralink uses animals. Companies that use specific animals for experimental studies are required to have an oversight board by US federal law. According to a Reuters report, this panel is primarily made up of employees at Musk's company. Animal welfare and experimental integrity are now issues that need to be addressed.

One of the many businesses working on BCI is Neuralink. However, the company has always been in the public eye due to its relationship with Musk.
The business has been testing its device—which Musk referred to as "a Fitbit" in the skull—on pigs and primates. This year, Neuralink plans to start human trials.The allegations concerning animal abuse, however, might impede its development.

'Institutional animal care and use committee' (IACUC) is the name of the body in charge of Neuralink's animal research. Like other IACUCs, this one is tasked with ensuring high research standards, ethical treatment of animals, and the accuracy of data.

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These panels' judgements are crucial in determining whether a drug or medical device is safe for testing on humans. These committees work to safeguard both animal welfare and the integrity of research.

It is uncommon for IACUCs to include staff members who stand to gain financially from the study's findings. Neuralink's situation is peculiar because of this. 19 of the panel's 22 members were working for the company as of the end of 2022. Autumn Sorells, a former board chair, oversaw Neuralink's animal care division. At least 11 of them had a direct connection to the care or study of animals.

The composition of the board may have changed since last year, according to Reuters. If it hasn't, on the other hand, it raises a lot of issues. The oversight panel is supposed to be unbiased. With that many Neuralink employees as members, there is a high likelihood of potential conflict-of-interest laws being broken. Such a makeup gives the business a lot of flexibility in how the board operates.

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Neuralink is working hard to complete its plan to carry out human trials this year. According to Reuters, some employees are worried that the business is rushing animal experiments because Musk is pressuring it. As a result, animals suffer needlessly and pass away. To prevent such hurried experiments, there is an oversight board here. However, a fair evaluation might not take place because Neuralink employees predominate the panel

A medical company's oversight board for animal testing is crucial from a regulatory perspective. Just over 120 inspectors of animal care are employed by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA). They have control over more than 11,000 facilities. How will they make sure the animals in all those facilities are cared for? Nobody can. Individual panels can be used in this situation.

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The list of complaints against Neuralink now includes allegations about its oversight board. The company is already under investigation for possible violations of animal welfare and unsafe transport of harmful pathogens. In an effort to surpass competitors and take the lead in the developing field of BCI, the company may break the law. That is why it requires a board of oversight that is independent