PNNL

Abstract

[Background and motivation] The high-throughput genomics communities have been successfully using standard spreadsheet-based formats to capture and share data both within labs and with public repositories. The nanomedicine community has yet to adopt similar standard methods to share the diverse and multi-dimensional types of data (including metadata) pertaining to the description and characterization of nanomaterials. Owing to the lack of standardization in representing and sharing nanomaterial data, most of the data currently shared via publications and data resources are incomplete, poorly-integrated, and not sufficiently manageable to allow for meaningful interpretation and re-use of the data. Specifically, in its current state, the data cannot be effectively utilized for the development of predictive models that can enable the rational design of nanomaterials. [Results] We have developed a specification called nano-TAB, which specifies four spreadsheet-based file formats for representing and integrating various types of nanomaterial data. These file formats are called Investigation, Study, Assay, and Material files. The first three formats are borrowed and adapted from the ISA-TAB specification; the Material file format has been newly developed to describe nanomaterials and associated small molecules. In this paper, we have discussed the main features of each file format and how to use them for sharing nanomaterial descriptions and assay metadata. [Conclusion] The nano-TAB file formats provide a general and flexible framework to record and integrate nanomaterial descriptions, assay data (metadata and endpoint measurements) and protocol information. Like ISA-TAB, nano-TAB allows the use of terms from ontologies to limit ambiguous usage of terminologies and to facilitate later search and integration of the data using ontologies. Recently, the nano-TAB specification was submitted as an ASTM work item to obtain community feedback and to provide a nanotechnology data-sharing standard for public development and adoption.