Post-doctoral scholar Elisabeth Ormandy and colleagues in the Animal Welfare Program have recently published an article on public attitudes towards the use of animals in research. The study focused on the commonly used procedure of ethyl-N-nitrosourea (ENU) mutagenesis. This procedure is used to introduce genetic point mutations and study various genetic diseases, including cancer. The study found that many participants perceived the procedure as painful and considered its use on these animals unacceptable. These results suggest that there is a gap between common scientific practice and societal values.