PGP repository: a plant phenomics and genomics data publication infrastructure

Area of Science:

• Plant Science
• Genomics
• Phenomics
• Data Science

Background:

• Plant genomics and phenomics are crucial for improving crop yields and addressing productivity challenges.
• Existing data management solutions often fail to accommodate large or complex datasets, leading to inaccessible research assets.
• A need exists for a dedicated, stable, open-access portal to publish diverse plant research data.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce the Plant Genomics and Phenomics Research Data Repository (PGP) as a comprehensive infrastructure for publishing plant research data.
• To address the challenge of publishing large-scale, cross-domain datasets not typically handled by central repositories.
• To facilitate the accessibility and reusability of plant research data, adhering to FAIR data principles.

Main Methods:

• Development and implementation of the Plant Genomics and Phenomics Research Data Repository (PGP) at the Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research.
• Utilization of e!DAL software infrastructure and a Hierarchical Storage Management System for data archival.
• Creation of an automated data submission tool to simplify the publication process for researchers.

Main Results:

• The PGP repository successfully hosts and publishes diverse, cross-domain plant research datasets, including image collections, genomic data, and mass spectrometry results.
• Data are published with citable digital object identifiers and registered with DataCite, ensuring long-term stability and discoverability.
• The repository's web frontend supports interactive data exploration, and programmatic interfaces enable adherence to FAIR data principles.

Conclusions:

• The PGP repository effectively overcomes barriers to publishing complex plant research data, making valuable digital assets accessible to the scientific community.
• By adhering to FAIR data principles, PGP enhances the findability, accessibility, interoperability, and reusability of plant science research.
• This infrastructure is vital for accelerating advancements in plant genomics and phenomics, ultimately supporting crop improvement efforts.