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Metadata and provenance

FlaskTrack keeps Registry provenance alongside imported and verified molecular records. This makes it possible to identify what external information was used, when it was retrieved, and how it related to the local sequence at verification time.

Metadata preserved from the Registry

Depending on the source record, FlaskTrack may preserve:

  • Registry UUID, part number, slug, and source URL;
  • title and functional description;
  • part role and ontology accession;
  • linear or circular topology;
  • source or citation text;
  • DNA sequence and sequence digest;
  • authors and contributor roles;
  • author organization;
  • Registry entry and update dates;
  • designed-for, characterized-in, and source-organism chassis metadata;
  • sequence features and composition;
  • sequence length, base counts, and GC content; and
  • Registry usage count.

The availability and completeness of these fields are controlled by the source Registry record.

Refresh linked Registry metadata

The verification dashboard includes Refresh missing metadata.

To refresh records:

  1. Open Molecular Studio → iGEM Registry → Verify local sequences.
  2. Select Refresh missing metadata.
  3. Wait for FlaskTrack to retrieve the next batch of linked Registry records.
  4. Review the refreshed records as needed.

Refreshes are processed in small batches to avoid excessive requests to the community-operated Registry service. Run the action again if more linked records remain.

What a refresh changes

A refresh updates the stored external Registry snapshot and Registry identifiers. For linked plasmids and genetic constructs, FlaskTrack may fill an empty local description using the Registry description.

What a refresh preserves

Refresh does not overwrite:

  • a non-empty description written by your team;
  • the local display name;
  • the local DNA sequence;
  • Molecular Studio version history;
  • current, reviewed, approved, or released state;
  • plasmid catalog relationships; or
  • prior verification events.

This keeps external metadata current without allowing a Registry change to silently replace your organization's curated scientific record.

Attribution

Imported part pages display the Registry part number with a source link, authorship, date of entry, and references to the iGEM Registry. FlaskTrack also stores an attribution string with each imported part.

When reusing Registry content outside FlaskTrack, follow the Registry's current license, attribution, branding, and usage requirements.

Audit interpretation

The current Registry link answers: “What Registry record is this FlaskTrack record linked to now, and what was the most recent comparison result?”

The verification-event history answers: “What comparisons were performed over time, against which Registry record, by whom, and using which sequence digests?”

Because Registry content can change, retain the verification event and its digests when a result supports a controlled laboratory decision.