Sample Management Across the National Ecological Observatory Network

By

Laney, Christine
Levan, Katherine
Lunch, Claire
Thibault, Katherine

Type

Article

Date of Publication

2018-5-18

Original Publication

Metabarcoding and metagenomics

Volume

2

Pages

1--2

Subjects

Collections , controlled vocabularies , data management , samples , semantics , Specimens

Contributed by

Pensoft Publishers

Language

English

Published by

Bulgaria Pensoft Publishers 2017-

Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/biss.2.25351

 

Abstract

From 81 study sites across the United States, the US National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON), generates >75,000 samples per year. Samples range from soil and dust deposition material, tissue samples (e.g., small mammals and fish), DNA extracts, and whole organisms (e.g., ground beetles and ticks). Samples are collected, processed, and documented according to protocols that are standardized across study sites and according to the needs of the ecological research community for future studies. NEON has faced numerous challenges with managing data related to these many diverse physical samples, particularly when data are gathered at numerous steps throughout processing. Here, we share these challenges as well as solutions, including innovative semantically driven software tools and processing pipelines that manage data from each sample's point of collection to its ultimate fate (consumption, archive facility, or partnering data repository) while maintaining links across sample hierarchies.