FAIR data for optical tweezers experiments

TL;DR

This paper highlights the need for better data sharing in optical tweezers experiments to improve research and collaboration in single-molecule biophysics.

Contribution

The paper evaluates FAIR data principles in optical tweezers and proposes metadata standards for better reproducibility and integration.

Findings

The optical tweezers field lacks adherence to FAIR data principles, limiting data sharing and meta-analyses.

Implementing metadata standards and compulsory data deposition could enhance reproducibility and interoperability.

Adopting open data practices could align the field with successful projects like the Protein Data Bank.

Abstract

The single-molecule biophysics community has delivered significant impacts to our understanding of fundamental biological processes, yet the field is also siloed and has fragmented data structures, which impede data sharing and limit the ability to conduct comprehensive meta-analyses. To advance the field of optical tweezers in single-molecule biophysics, it is important that the field adopts open and collaborative data sharing that facilitate meta-analyses that combine diverse resources and supports more advanced analyses, akin to those seen in projects such as the Protein Data Bank and the 1000 Genomes Project. Here, we assess the state of data findability, accessibility, interoperability, and reusability (the FAIR principles) within the single-molecule optical tweezers field. By combining a qualitative review with quantitative tools from bibliometrics, our analysis suggests that the field has significant room for improvement in terms of FAIR adherence. Finally, we discuss the potential of compulsory data deposition and a minimal set of metadata standards to ensure reproducibility and interoperability between systems. While implementing these measures may not be straightforward, they are key steps that will enhance the integration of optical tweezers biophysics with the broader biomedical literature.

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