Our third edition of the NFDI4BIOIMAGE calendar highlights bioimage repositories

This year, we turn our attention to the “end” of bioimage data — the moment of publication. While publishing might seem like the final step in the research process, the point where a project comes to completion, we all know it is far from the end. In reality, publication marks the beginning of new rounds of discoveries: once shared, bioimage datasets can be reused, reanalyzed, and reinterpreted by other researchers.

To highlight this crucial stage in the data lifecycle, the 2026 edition of our calendar focuses on repositories for publishing bioimage datasets. Each month presents one exemplary data publication and introduces its hosting repository. Together, they illustrate the diversity of platforms available for storing, sharing, and preserving bioimage data in a way that is sustainable and FAIR — Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable. By scanning the QR code on each calendar page, you can explore an accompanying webpage that provides direct access to the published dataset, detailed information about the data, and insights into the respective repository.

We teamed up with Henning Falk, a scientist by training who also creates cartoons for the bioimaging community. Henning helped us visualize the efforts of the NFDI4BIOIMAGE consortium and its team of data stewards to make bioimage data FAIR, turning complex processes into clear and engaging illustrations.

Unlike in previous years, where “The Beauty of Metadata” was visualized directly on the calendar pages, this year’s focus on published datasets means that all biological metadata can now be found within the corresponding repositories. Metadata form a necessary and indispensable part of every data publication — ensuring that datasets remain understandable, searchable, and truly reusable for the scientific community.

With this year’s calendar, we invite you to explore how data publication transforms research results into shared scientific resources, creating new connections, fostering collaboration, and ensuring that bioimage data continue to inspire discovery long after their initial generation.