On 2025-11-25, the rdm network's autumn meeting took place, featuring TUdata news and three interesting talks with discussions on various rdm topics.

Talk 1: Alexander Rapp: OMERO for (microscopy) image data management

OMERO (Open Microscopy Environment) is a tool for managing image data, including very large files, with the ability to handle many file formats and perform on-the-fly conversion. Although it originated in microscopy, it now has many other applications, including photos from field studies and geospatial image data. A central service for the RMU is currently in development (alpha phase), with more information available at Goethe University.

GU OMERO project: https://www.ub.uni-frankfurt.de/forschungsdaten/omero.html

Talk 2: Johannes Mich: Management of transient data and codes based on the Dublin Core terminology

Simulation workflows, especially in the early stages of development, require a great deal of trial and error, as well as regular adjustments. This concerns not only the core simulation software, but also other workflow stages, such as post-processing. These stages need to be well documented in ideally, an automated fashion To this end, PyDuCo is a Python library to equip Python objects with metadata using decorators. The metadata scheme is based on the Dublin Core terminology. Reports in Markdown can be generated from the metadata collected during script execution for documentation and lookup purposes.

pyDuCo git repo: https://git.rwth-aachen.de/pyduco/pyduco

Talk 3: Dominik Demuth: Managing and publishing relational research databases with DBRepo

Relational databases are often used to collect and store research data and metadata in a highly structured fashion. Running such databases on self-hosted systems can make sustainability and long-term availability a significant challenge in the fast-paced and project-heavy environment of academic science. The software DBRepo is being developed as a solution to this problem with the possibilities to host relational databases as a central service, adding a REST-API, version controlling and publishing them and assigning digital object identifiers to a given stage in changing databases. The ULB Darmstadt, with DFG funding, will start setting up a service for centrally hosting relational databases using DBRepo in early 2026.

Background:

The rdm network is the platform of TU Darmstadt's rdm officers to discuss research data management. The guidelines of the university on handling digital research data ask all work groups to appoint an rdm officer. Please see the RDM officers page for details.