EMPIAR

EMPIAR provides open access to raw electron microscopy image data and 3D reconstructions to support validation, software development, testing, and training in cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM), volume electron microscopy (vEM), and X-ray tomography (XT).

Key Features:

• Comprehensive Data Archive: Houses over a thousand entries encompassing more than 2 petabytes of data, including raw cryo-EM image datasets and 3D reconstructions from vEM and XT.
• Deposition System: Maintains an organized deposition system for submission and preservation of datasets and associated metadata.
• Search and Visualization Tools: Provides search and visualization tools for locating and inspecting archived datasets and metadata.
• Download Capabilities: Supports direct download of archived datasets for downstream analysis.
• Programmatic Access via REST API: Offers a RESTful API for programmatic access to entry metadata.

Scientific Applications:

• Validation of cryo-EM results: Enables independent validation of cryo-EM experimental results using raw image data.
• Cell, tissue and organism structural studies: Supplies 3D reconstructions from vEM and XT for studies of cells, tissues, and organisms at high resolution.
• Software development and testing: Provides benchmark datasets for developing, testing, and comparing image-processing and reconstruction algorithms.
• Training and benchmarking: Supports training of computational methods and benchmarking of analysis pipelines using real microscopy datasets.

Methodology:

Systematic collection, curation, and archiving of raw image data and 3D reconstructions with standards for data deposition; infrastructure addresses storage, retrieval, and growth in data volume.