medna-metadata

medna-metadata manages environmental DNA (eDNA) sample metadata to standardize and document field sampling, molecular laboratory procedures, and bioinformatic workflows for reproducible biodiversity and metabarcoding analyses.

Key Features:

• Comprehensive Metadata Documentation: Captures detailed metadata across field sampling, molecular biology wet lab procedures, and bioinformatic analyses, including sequence analysis and taxonomic assignments.
• Modular System Design: Provides a modular framework to represent diverse study designs and workflows for field data collection, lab processing, and downstream analysis.
• Integration with Existing Technologies: Implements backend components using Python, PostgreSQL, PostGIS, RabbitMQ, and NGINX to support storage, spatial metadata, and messaging for metadata operations.
• FAIR Principles Alignment: Structures metadata to support Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable data practices for eDNA research.

Scientific Applications:

• Sampling Protocol Documentation: Records provenance and environmental context for eDNA samples, including sampling locations and environmental conditions.
• Laboratory Process Tracking: Documents wet lab procedures, reagents, and processing timelines to link laboratory provenance to sequence outputs.
• Sequence and Taxonomic Provenance: Associates sequence analysis results and taxonomic assignments with their analytical workflows and metadata for reproducibility.
• Metabarcoding and Biodiversity Studies: Supports metadata management for metabarcoding surveys and other eDNA-based biodiversity assessments.

Methodology:

Captures and records detailed metadata for field data collection (environmental conditions, sampling locations, methodologies), wet lab processing (laboratory procedures, reagents, processing timelines), and bioinformatic analysis (sequence analysis, taxonomic assignments, analytical workflows).