SPERMFREE: integrated analytical workflow for cell-free DNA (cfDNA)-based assessment of testicular function in severe male infertility

The Data Management Plan (DMP) describes how research data generated within the SPERMFREE project will be collected, processed, stored, protected, and preserved throughout the project lifecycle. The project will generate several types of data, including next-generation sequencing (NGS) data from seminal plasma cell-free DNA, derived bioinformatic datasets (e.g., fragmentomic profiles, microbial signatures, and inferred gene-expression features), and associated pseudonymized clinical metadata. Raw sequencing data and intermediate computational files will be processed and temporarily stored using the High-Performance Computing (HPC) infrastructure provided by the Riga Technical University (RTU) High-Performance Computing Center. This infrastructure supports large-scale genomic data processing and secure storage required for next-generation sequencing analyses. Curated datasets supporting scientific analyses and publications will be archived in the institutional RSU Dataverse repository to ensure long-term preservation and compliance with FAIR data principles. Sensitive patient-related information will remain pseudonymized and stored in secure institutional systems. The bioinformatic workflow developed in this project constitutes a potentially patentable analytical technology; therefore, the pipeline source code will be maintained in a private version-controlled repository accessible only to the project team. Public release of proprietary components will be considered after completion of intellectual property protection procedures.