Call for community review of the MBF neuromorphological file format v 4.0

Abstract

The purpose of this document is to solicit community feedback on the MBF Neuromorphological File Format v 4.0 which provides an openly documented and broadly utilized digital reconstruction and modeling structure for microscopic anatomies that was submitted to INCF for endorsement as a standard for neuromorphological data. The document contains the INCF standards and best practices committee's review of the MBF Neuromorphological File Format v 4.0, and the criteria in which it was evaluated (open, FAIR, testing and implementation, governance, adoption and use, stability and support, and comparison to similar standards). For the next 60 days, we are seeking community feedback on MBF Neuromorphological File Format v 4.0. About the MBF Neuromorphological File Format v 4.0: It provides an openly documented and broadly utilized digital reconstruction and modeling structure for microscopic anatomies. The Extensible Markup Language (XML) based file structure has been driven for over 30 years by the ever-advancing science, technology, and input of neuroscientists throughout the world. It balances structure with flexibility by storing each geometrically modeled object as unique data elements and providing mechanisms for grouping any number and type of data elements. This accommodates a number of analytical possibilities such as detailed morphometric analyses, simulations, and electrotonic modeling of the neurons. File-level metadata is retained to provide detail on the origin of the sample, ensuring that the provenance of derivative data is tracked and that important source information is not separated from the corresponding data.