Advanced Metadata Topics

Advanced metadata topics are detailed in this document. These are intended for e.g. advanced users who manually prepare their own sample sheets for specific study types.

Study iRODS Data Linking

The sample sheet view of the SODAR UI display shortcuts to relevant iRODS files and IGV integration. These are displayed on the right hand side column of the study table. The types of shortcuts displayed depend on the study plugin.

The study plugin selected by SODAR in turn depends on the study configuration. The configuration usually originates from the template used to create the sample sheet. SODAR reads this configuration from the investigation TSV file in a comment labeled Created with Configuration.

SODAR currently supports the following study configurations:

  • Cancer

    • Indended for: Cancer studies

    • Configuration: bih_cancer

    • Provides: sample specific shortcuts to the latest BAM and VCF files.

  • Germline

    • Indended for: Germline studies

    • Configuration: bih_germline

    • Provides: pedigree specific shortcuts to the latest BAM and VCF files.

If the configuration is not specified or is not known to SODAR, the shortcut column will not be visible.

Assay iRODS Data Linking

Similar to study data linking, SODAR also displays iRODS links specific to assays according to an assay plugin. The selected plugin affects the following types of iRODS links:

  • Assay shortcuts card above each assay table

  • Row-specific links in the right hand column of each row

  • Inline links which are file names stored in the table itself, under e.g. “data file” materials.

The assay plugin to be used is determined based on a combination of the measurement type and technology type attributes of each assay.

If SODAR doesn’t recognize the measurement type and technology combination, no plugin will be applied. In this case the row-specific links will point to the root collection of the assay.

Alternatively, it is possible to explicitly declare what plugin should be used by adding a SODAR Assay Plugin comment within the STUDY ASSAYS section of the ISA-Tab investigation file. As the value for each assay in which you want to override the plugin, the full internal plugin name (e.g. samplesheets_assay_generic_raw) should be used. If both the explicit declaration and measurement/technology type are present, the former will override the latter. Example:

STUDY ASSAYS
Study Assay File Name   a_assay.txt
Comment[SODAR Assay Plugin] samplesheets_assay_generic_raw

SODAR currently supports the following assay plugins:

  • DNA Sequencing

  • Generic Raw Data Plugin

  • Metabolite Profiling / Mass Spectrometry

  • Microarray

  • Protein Expression Profiling / Mass Spectrometry

Common links as well as plugin specific links are detailed below.

DNA Sequencing Plugin

  • Internal name: samplesheets_assay_dna_sequencing

  • Additional assay shortcuts

    • N/A

  • Row-specific links

    • Each row links to the last material name in the row, not counting “data file” materials.

  • Inline links

    • N/A

  • Used with measurement type / technology type

    • genome sequencing / nucleotide sequencing

    • exome sequencing / nucleotide sequencing

    • transcription profiling / nucleotide sequencing

    • transcriptome profiling / nucleotide sequencing

    • panel sequencing / nucleotide sequencing

Generic Raw Data Assay Plugin

  • Internal name: samplesheets_assay_generic_raw

  • Additional assay shortcuts

    • RawData: Assay-wide raw data files

  • Row-specific links

    • N/A

  • Inline links

    • Raw data files are linked to RawData

  • Used with measurement type / technology type

    • N/A (can be used with the SODAR Assay Plugin comment override)

Metabolite Profiling / Mass Spectrometry Plugin

  • Internal name: samplesheets_assay_meta_ms

  • Additional assay shortcuts

    • RawData: Assay-wide raw data files

  • Row-specific links

    • N/A

  • Inline links

    • Metabolite assignment files are linked to MiscFiles

    • Raw spectral data files are linked to RawData

    • Report files are linked to ResultsReports

  • Used with measurement type / technology type

    • metabolite profiling / mass spectrometry

Microarray Plugin

  • Internal name: samplesheets_assay_microarray

  • Additional assay shortcuts

    • N/A

  • Row-specific links

    • Rows with hybridization assay name and scan name are linked under RawData/{hybridization assay name}/{scan name}/.

  • Inline links

    • Inline file names are linked to row-specific hybridization assay name and scan name paths.

  • Used with measurement type / technology type

    • transcription profiling / microarray

    • transcription profiling / DNA microarray

    • transcriptome profiling / microarray

    • transcriptome profiling / DNA microarray

Protein Expression Profiling / Mass Spectrometry Plugin

  • Internal name: samplesheets_assay_pep_ms

  • Additional assay shortcuts

    • RawData: Assay-wide raw data files

    • MaxQuantResults: Assay-wide MaxQuant result files

  • Row-specific links

    • N/A

  • Inline links

    • Files are linked to RawData under the assay.

  • Used with measurement type / technology type

    • protein expression profiling / mass spectrometry