Figshare Data Sharing and Reuse User Story: Bridging Scales in Neuroscience

User story showcasing real-world researchers' experiences with data sharing and reuse in the Figshare repository.

This article illustrates the impact of the open science lifecycle through the sharing and reuse of a 3D developmental mouse brain atlas. Dr. Yongsoo Kim's lab at Penn State University created the Developmental Common Coordinate Framework (DevCCF) to provide a high-resolution spatial framework for the developing mouse brain, filling a significant gap in neuroinformatics. By openly sharing this complex dataset on Figshare with careful curation and clear metadata, Dr. Kim ensured its accessibility and reproducibility for the broader research community.

The value of this transparent sharing was realized when Kaitlin Stouffer and Dr. Michael Miller at Johns Hopkins University reused the DevCCF. They utilized the unique atlas to validate a novel computational method designed to bridge the gap between tissue-scale anatomy and molecular-scale data. Ultimately, this story demonstrates how accessible, well-documented open data fosters interdisciplinary collaboration and accelerates scientific breakthroughs without redundant costs.