Overview

An introduction of NExtSEEK and overview of our ongoing data management efforts

NExtSEEK is a variant of SEEK that converts SEEK into an active data management platform. This project has been developed out of the MIT BioMicro Center / Koch Institute Integrated Genomics and Bioinformatics Core Facility.

NExtSEEK is a wrapper, built around the FAIRDOM-SEEK Infrastructure, to allow for active data management of ongoing research projects, as opposed to SEEK's focus as a repository. It accomplishes this by introducing mutable "hard sample typing" and transforming assays from nodes into edges. This approach creates a network model of a study that more accurately reflects the experimental process. A comprehensive distinction between SEEK and NExtSEEK exists here.

NExtSEEK can be best run as a private instance that hosts pre-publication research data, where groups/consortiums can share data and metadata amongst themselves. At the time of publication, data and metadata can be easily deposited into FAIRDOMHub to adhere to FAIR data standards.

Currently, we support data management for 6 projects, along with Independent Project Work:

• HI-IMPAcTB

• The MIT SuperFund Research Program (SRP)

• Metastasis Network of Cancer (MetNet)

• Cancer Systems Biology Consortium (CSBC)

• Break Through Cancer (BTC)

• CRG-Griffith

If you are a member of one of the projects above and would like to register for a NExtSEEK account, head to Account Registration / Project Association.

Each Project also has a Project Page on NExtSEEK, displaying project overview, goals, and summary statistics. Head here: https://nextseek.mit.edu/seek/projects/ to see the project pages available to you!

If you are looking to set up your own NExtSEEK instance, head to the Installation page.

Published data of these projects exist in FAIRDOMHub — a metadata repository maintained by the original SEEK team. All public NExtSEEK Studies also exist here: https://nextseek.mit.edu/published-studies/

Summary statistics

As of July 2026.

NExtSEEK database

Metric	Count
Samples	162,058
Data Files	43,478
Analyzed Data Files	3,432
Sample Types	109
Assays	448
Protocols	543

Published to FAIRDOMHub

Metric	Count
Samples	62,786
Data Files	24,920
Analyzed Data Files	836
Studies	52

By project — see Statistics for the full per-sample-type breakdown.

Project	Samples
HI-IMPAcTB	84,419
MIT SuperFund Research Program (SRP)	54,654
Metastasis Network (MetNet)	10,309
Cancer Systems Biology Consortium (CSBC)	3,209
Break Through Cancer (BTC)	4,593
CRG-Griffith	3,343
Shoulders (Independent Projects)	568