A web-based dashboard for RELION metadata visualization

Area of Science:

• Structural Biology
• Biophysics
• Microscopy

Background:

• Cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) has advanced significantly due to hardware and software improvements.
• Current cryo-EM software simplifies workflows but lacks in-depth metadata analysis, hindering troubleshooting for difficult datasets.
• The RELION software package, widely used for cryo-EM data processing, does not offer native graphical metadata representation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce novel web-based tools for enhanced cryo-EM data analysis and metadata visualization.
• To provide real-time feedback during data collection to aid decision-making.
• To enable efficient analysis and informed decisions throughout the cryo-EM data processing pipeline.

Main Methods:

• Development of relion_live.py for real-time data collection feedback.
• Development of relion_analyse.py, a graphical interface for visualizing RELION project metadata.
• Inclusion of a script for estimating ice thickness and data quality during movie pre-processing.

Main Results:

• relion_live.py facilitates swift decision-making during cryo-EM data acquisition.
• relion_analyse.py offers interactive plotting and filtration of essential metadata for RELION projects.
• The presented tools empower researchers with efficient data analysis capabilities.

Conclusions:

• The developed tools significantly improve the analysis of cryo-EM data by addressing metadata limitations.
• Researchers can make more informed decisions during both data collection and processing stages.
• These tools enhance the overall efficiency and troubleshooting capabilities in cryo-EM studies.