For over a century, rats have served as the animal model for countless experiments in every field of medical research, from early studies on cognition and nutrition, to today's great advances in genetics and cancer research.  This petition calls upon the Nobel Committee for Physiology or Medicine to recognize the sacrifice of these amazing animals and their undeniable contribution towards some of the most significant and life-saving achievements of modern medical history.

These contributions go beyond injections and maze running.  Using inbreeding, scientists have created entire strains of nearly identical rats to conduct experiments that exclude genetic differences as a factor.  These strains include such breeds as the Biobreeding, Battleboro, Hairless, Knockout, Lewis, RCS, Sprague Dawley, Zucker, and the iconic albino Wistar rat, and unlike the researchers they are often named after, they have been scientists for their entirety of their lives.

The valuable work that rats do in the lab can not be overstated.  We encourage the committee to consider this symbolic measure in the hopes that it will further the respect, appreciation, and humane treatment of these and other laboratory animals.  They have earned it.