Service

The Biology department offers its employees advice and support on the topic of research data management. The RMD team will be happy to advise you on topics such as::

• Data management plan (DMP)
• Data formats and metadata standards
• Technologies for collaborative work
• Software tools in the department and at the UOS
• Use of electronic lab notebooks (e.g. openBIS)
• Data archiving and publication (repositories, e.g. OMERO)

The Biology department offers free software for the management of research data for all employees. These are mainly the two software:

•  OMERO for managing and editing microscopic image data and
•  openBIS for keeping an electronic lab notebook (ELN) and managing the laboratory inventory.

The FDM team handles the onboarding of new research groups, user and rights management, and the research- and project-specific configuration of the software - always taking into account the requirements of funding agencies and government authorities. We also develop and customize workflows, organize tailored seminars, serve as a point of contact for questions and issues, and provide comprehensive support for the systematic management of research data.

The RDM team of the Biology department offers various events for the two software  OMERO and  openBIS for different target groups, both independently and on request:

• Courses for beginners and advanced users
• Courses for technical assistants
• Courses for new Bachelor and Master students
• Training courses for group admins and entire working groups

The Biology department offers its staff the free software  OMERO for managing image data. In its function as a  repository, OMERO also enables the publication of image data. All image data are given persistent identifiers and can be cited in scientific articles.

Need help? The RDM team will be happy to assist you with publishing your image data, from creating an OMERO group to applying for a data DOI.

Take a look at an  example of a data publication or visit the  CellNanOs OMERO Gallery, which contains the department's current publications.

The future of documentation in research lies in electronic lab notebooks (ELN). The Biology department therefore offers its staff the ELN software  openBIS.

In order to facilitate digital documentation with openBIS, the use of tablets can be useful. Before purchasing your own devices, testing loaned devices can be a help in deciding on the device model, number and size (inches) or useful accessories.

For such testing purposes, the department offers a wide variety of tablets and accessories for loan.

The Biology department offers its staff the  Wacom Intuos Pro L pen tablet for loan, e.g., for analyzing microscopic image data.

Among other things, this device allows you to mark and label cell structures or measurement lines directly on microscopy images. Handwritten graphics and notes are converted into digital documents. Shortcut keys provide access to measurement and annotation tools, which significantly speeds up image analysis.

Feel free to take advantage of this opportunity and give it a try.

In laboratory work, it can be very useful to label equipment, containers or storage systems with informative labels. Therefore, the Biology department offers its staff label printers for loan.

• Simple or durable, frost- and chemical-resistant labels
• Printing of text and images (e.g., hazard symbols)
• Printing of barcodes / QR codes (e.g., access to safety data sheets, operating instructions, booking calendars, etc.) - compatible with  openBIS