Consumable model

Table of contents

  1. Introduction
  2. Fields
  3. Types of consumable
    1. Reagents and Solutions
    2. Device-Linked Consumables
  4. Submission process
  5. Permissions
  6. API access

Introduction

Consumables are items used in scientific experiments that have a limited lifespan or are intended for single use. These materials and products are essential for maintaining experimental integrity, accuracy, and reproducibility. In BrainSTEM, consumables are shared across users to promote standardization and ease of use.

Fields

FieldDescription
Type of consumableType of consumable (required). Example: “Silicon probe design”
NameName of the consumable (required; string; maximum length: 100 characters; must be unique). Example: “Neuropixels 1.0 - 384 channels - Option 3”
SupplierSupplier of the consumable (required). Must reference an existing supplier. Example: “IMEC”
DescriptionDescription of the consumable (optional; maximum length: 2000 characters). Example: “High-density silicon probe with 384 recording sites distributed across a 10 mm shank…”
RRIDResearch Resource Identifier (optional). Must start with “RRID:”. Example: “RRID:AB_123456”
External identifiersExternal identifiers from databases like NCBI, JAX, DOI, etc. (optional). Include URLs when available.
Type specific fieldsCustom fields based on consumable type in JSON format. See Consumable types schema for type-specific fields
Adding/editing commentsComments for the submission/approval process (optional).

Types of consumable

Reagents and Solutions

See the schema for field details: Consumable types.

Chemical reagent: Chemical compounds and solutions used in experimental procedures.

Antibody or immunoreagent: Primary/secondary antibodies and related immunological reagents for IHC, Western blotting, and related techniques.

Pharmacological agent: Agents used for anesthesia, analgesia, or experimental manipulation.

Physiological solution: Prepared buffers and aqueous solutions for perfusion, dissection, recording, washing, or tissue storage.

Tracer or dye: Fluorescent or chromogenic compounds for labeling cells/tissues or tracing neural circuits.

Virus construct: Packaged viral vectors for gene delivery and expression in experimental systems.

Device-Linked Consumables

Consumable device: Per‑animal or single‑use hardware consumed by implantation or wear (e.g., baseplates, microdrives, adapters, fasteners).

Optical component: Discrete optical elements for imaging or optical access (e.g., GRIN lenses, cranial windows, dichroics, filters).

Optic fiber design: Fiber assemblies for light delivery/collection (implants, patch cords) used in optogenetics or photometry.

Silicon probe design: Silicon microelectrode arrays for high‑density extracellular recordings.

Single wire electrode: Single‑conductor wires used as recording/stimulation electrodes or as reference/ground leads in electrophysiology.

Submission process

Anyone can submit consumables or submit changes to existing ones, but all submissions must be approved before they are available for usage. Please see existing entries for examples as to what to submit.

For detailed information about the specific fields for each type of consumable, please refer to the Consumable types schema page.

Permissions

Once an entry has been approved it becomes available to everyone.

API access

The API allows for programmable access to consumables, enabling you to read, edit, and delete consumables through the API. Learn more about the consumables’ fields and data structure on the Consumables API page.