Incorporation of control data

[dianalg]

eDNA data commonly includes a number of control samples - controls from collection, extraction, pcr, etc. The number of reads and taxonomic identifications of any ASVs found in the control samples are a crucial part of the data set, and how researchers choose to use the control data to interpret/filter the rest of the data varies greatly (there isn't an accepted standard practice in the community). Given this, it seems important to be able to include control data in submissions of genetically-derived data to OBIS.

It seems like these data cannot be part of the occurrence file, since any ASVs found do not indicate species presence or absence. Where could they be included as part of a DwC-formatted OBIS submission?

Alternatively, if control data cannot be incorporated, it might be worth discussing whether OBIS wanted to adopt some sort of conservative standard practice, like removing records from all ASVs detected in the controls. This would have to be understood by users and throughout the broader community, though.

[albenson-usgs]

@thomasstjerne @dschigel this topic came up in a US Federal working group call I was on today. Do you know how terrestrial eDNA groups are handling this? Does anyone have a template for how to include this type of information using the DNA Derived Data extension? Or another extension?

[dschigel]

Good one @albenson-usgs, no we don't and I started to think under #162 above should we, and if yes, where and how?

[7yl4r]

It seems to me that these additional data files should be included as links in the DwC measurement-or-fact extension. This would be the same way images and other media files are handled.

[ymgan]

@thomasstjerne @dschigel this topic came up in a US Federal working group call I was on today. Do you know how terrestrial eDNA groups are handling this? Does anyone have a template for how to include this type of information using the DNA Derived Data extension? Or another extension?

Maybe GenomicsStandardsConsortium/mixs#25 ?