Proteomics data collection (ProDaC): publishing and collecting proteomics data sets in public repositories using...

In Proteomics, fast enhancements with regard to technology are responsible for the creation of huge data sets. Consequently, in 2006 the European Commission funded a Coordination Action named ProDaC (Proteomics Data Collection) within the 6th EU Framework Programme to foster a community-wide data collection and data sharing. The aims of ProDaC were the development of documentation and storage standards, setup of a standardized data submission pipeline and collection of data.To reach these goals, the necessary work was structured in six thematic fields (work packages): Standards for Proteomics Data Representation, Standards Implementation, Data Integration Tools, Proteomics Repository Adaptation, Data Flow Management, and Proteomics Data Exploitation. The methods building the basis of the respective fields and the achieved results are described in the following sections.