Metadata2

Metadata Templates

Each study requires four metadata files for MODEL-AD – Individual, Biospecimen, Assay, and Manifest files. In order for your metadata to validate successfully, please use the latest version of each template. You will find a description of each file below with a list of links to the latest templates.

Here’s a graphical representation of the relationship between individualID and specimenID across the different metadata files.  IndividualID should be consistent across the individual animal and biospecimen metadata templates.  SpecimenID should be consistent between the biospecimen and assay metadata files.

Individual Animal

This file contains metadata about each individual animal that is part of a study.  Each animal will be described in one row with information that is true of the animal as a whole (eg, individualID, genotype, room, litter).

Biospecimen

A biospecimen is a sample of cells, tissue, RNA, DNA, etc.  The biospecimen metadata file contains information about each biospecimen that is part of a study, including things like what organ and tissue the specimen is from, its mass, etc. 

The biospecimen and individual animal metadata files are linked by the individualID variable and it should be consistent across these two files.  Each individualID may have more than one associated specimenID.  Not all data will have an associated biospecimen – for instance behavioral or imaging studies may only have records in the individual animal metadata file.

The biospecimen and assay metadata files are linked by the specimenID and it should be consistent across these two files.  If more than one assay was conducted on the same specimen, the same specimenID should be used throughout. 

Assay

Each assay metadata file contains information about the assay and there are multiple templates, since the information collected will vary by assay. 

The assay metadata and biospecimen metadata files are linked by the specimenID variable, which appears in both files and it should be consistent across these two files.

Not all assays have related assay metadata templates.

Latest Templates

• Metadata Templates

• Individual: template_individual_animal_model-ad.xlsx

• Biospecimen: template_biospecimen.xlsx

• Assay Templates:

  • RNAseq

  • single-cellRNAseq

  • nanostring

  • immunosassay

  • metabolomics

  • proteomics

Validation

Use the dccvalidator to validate your metadata files.

Once your validated metadata are ready for upload you will upload them to the parentID provided by your Curator via email.