To provide a platform for biological scientists to share, organise, analyse, evaluate and access single-cell data, helping them create comprehensive reference maps of all human cells.
Create a data resource that maximizes the value and use of Human Cell Atlas data across the scientific community. All data considered to be suitable towards building the Human Cell Atlas will be collected and organized in a single repository in accordance with FAIR data principles. We will collect experimental protocols, raw data, and processed data with thorough documentation of provenance, represented in structured metadata and additional supplemental files. We will capture all relevant data by any possible means, including extraction of relevant raw data from other archives. We will comply with ethical and legal requirements for data access, as well as being sensitive to the privacy concerns of researchers, whilst seeking to ensure data is openly available for the entire community. Read more...
Provide researchers access to data that will enable the Human Cell Atlas to answer fundamental questions in all aspects of biology. Focusing primarily on “researchers with a keyboard” and “researchers with a pipette”, we will provide programmatic interfaces (APIs) and graphical user interfaces that allow these scientists to discover, integrate and access datasets relevant to their research efforts. Informed by the development of the Human Cell Atlas, tissue-specific atlases and their requirements, we will focus on presenting data from the DCP with a core set of features sufficient to characterize cell types using currently available methods. Read more...
Perform regular data releases of high value to single cell researchers that can be cited, accessed, reused and reanalysed. To fulfil the needs of scientists representing the primary users of the DCP, we will provide periodic data releases that deliver access to all available data adhering to the latest standards. We will make it easy for scientists to access and integrate data - generated at different times, using different standards of metadata and QC, with different analysis methods - by migrating, re-evaluating and reanalysing data using the latest standards and methods. Stable releases will be preserved over time, such that analysis or visualisation software developed against a particular data release will continue to operate, even after that release has been superseded. Read more...
Build alignment amongst the Human Cell Atlas community around a core set of computational methods and analyses. The DCP will play a vital role in allowing single cell researchers to compare the quality, reliability and ease of use of computational analyses and techniques as they are developed. We will facilitate the analysis efforts of researchers by processing all data as it is generated and deposited in the DCP. DCP pipelines will focus on a number of core, most commonly utilised technologies whilst also making it straightforward for community-contributed pipelines to be deployed within the DCP. The DCP will create a primary forum in the community for discussion, development and publication of analysis pipelines. We will frequently review the data generation landscape to ensure pipelines provide value to the largest possible section of the community. Read more...
Create standards to describe single cell experimental designs, including protocols, sample collection, technologies and assay types, driving consensus within the single cell community. We will develop standard vocabularies and formats for describing experimental designs, analysis methodologies, processing protocols, quality controls and analysis-derived results across the most common assay types. We will develop standards for describing the key characteristics of samples, methods and files that allow for the expression of features necessary for cell type characterisation. We will enable scientists to identify, based on direct comparisons of DCP data, the best methods and protocols for drafting the Human Cell Atlas. Read more...