HMC Conference 2026

SEPIA: A Metadata-Driven Infrastructure for Persistent and Traceable Sample Management

D12

Nicht eingeplant

3m

Communication Center (DKFZ, Heidelberg)

Demo Poster 6. Empowering Research Communities: Bringing Metadata into Action POSTERS & DEMOS - with Drinks

Sprecher

Mojeeb Rahman Sedeqi (Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin für Materialien und Energie GmbH (HZB), Helmholtz Metadata Collaboration (HMC))

Beschreibung

Scientific data collected at large-scale research infrastructures is only as reusable and reproducible as the metadata describing the samples under investigation. In practice, sample metadata is often incomplete, fragmented across systems, or insufficiently linked to experiments, datasets, and people. The SEPIA (Sample Essentials, Persistent Identifiers & Attributes) system addresses this challenge by providing a metadata-driven infrastructure that enables comprehensive, persistent, and traceable sample descriptions throughout the entire research lifecycle.

SEPIA is built around a robust backend system and Open REST API that uniquely identifies samples and systematically captures their essential attributes, provenance, and relationships. By supporting persistent identifiers such as IGSN, structured metadata aligned with the DataCite Metadata Schema, and tight integration with ICAT, SEPIA enables unambiguous referencing of samples and seamless linkage to investigations, datasets, and users. These capabilities are complemented by a modern web-based frontend that provides user-friendly access to the SEPIA API, allowing researchers, beamline scientists, and administrators to register, update, and explore sample metadata through an intuitive interface. The system supports flexible sample registration via structured JSON payloads, existing published identifiers, or DataCite XML uploads, allowing integration into diverse research workflows.

Currently implemented as a pilot at the Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin für Materialien und Energie (HZB), SEPIA streamlines sample management across beamlines, enhances collaboration between researchers and facilities, and ensures that sample-related metadata remains accessible, interoperable, and FAIR. A modern web-based frontend complements the backend API, enabling researchers, beamline scientists, and administrators to register, track, search, and explore samples efficiently.

At the HMC Conference 2026, SEPIA will be presented as an interactive poster and live demonstration, showcasing how persistent identifiers and well-defined metadata attributes transform sample metadata into an active component of research infrastructure, enabling better data traceability, interoperability, and reuse.