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Collaboration & SharingWorking Groups

Working Groups

Usage

Working Groups are collaborative spaces grouping people, datasets around a research theme or project.

Technical behavior

Membership: invitation-based, with roles (Owner, Co-owner, Member). Owners can transfer their role.

User identification: when inviting or searching for a user, the system initially relies on the user’s handle (unique identifier).

Once a collaboration exists (e.g. at least one shared Working Group), the user is considered a known contact. From that point on:

  • The user is displayed using their first name and last name** instead of their handle
  • In search and selection interfaces, known users appear by name

This improves readability and reflects existing collaboration relationships.

Visibility: Groups are private and not discoverable by non-members.

Permissions: actions depend on role (managing members, approving datasets).

List View:

  • Displays all groups you belong to.
  • Owner/Member avatars are shown as initials.
  • Options to invite new members.
  • A three-dot menu (for owners) to:
    • Rename
    • Archive (archived groups are read-only)
    • Transfer ownership

Owner Actions

Rename

The Rename option allows the owner to update the name of the Working Group. Renaming does not affect membership, shared content, or permissions — only the group’s display name is changed. This is useful when the research theme, project scope, or internal naming conventions evolve.

Archive

The Archive action permanently closes the Working Group. Once archived, the group becomes read-only: no new members or co-owners can be added, and the group cannot be reopened. All shared material — datasets, sequences, discussions, and permissions previously granted — remains fully accessible to existing members. However, the Working Group itself and its membership settings can no longer be modified. This action is irreversible and should be used when a project has concluded or when collaborative activity is no longer required.

Transfer ownership

The Transfer ownership option allows the current owner to delegate their ownership role to another existing member of the Working Group. The owner can select the new owner from the list of current participants displayed in the interface. This is typically used when project responsibilities shift or when the original owner is no longer the appropriate person to manage group permissions and settings.

Detail View:

Clicking a group reveals:

  • Members: list of users, their roles, and join dates.
  • Datasets: shared datasets with virus type and sequence details. Links to dataset permalinks.
  • Sequences: list of individual sequences shared in the group (see Sequence and Data Sharing).

Sharing Logic:

  • If a non-owner shares a dataset: rights remain unchanged (Private sequences remain hidden to the group).
  • If the Dataset Owner shares a dataset: All members gain access to the private sequences within that dataset (as if they were public).

Creating & Inviting

  • Click Create Working Group and define a name.
  • Invite Members:
    • Existing Contacts: Select from the “Add user” list (people you already share groups with).
    • New Contacts: Enter the user’s Handle (unique identifier found in their Account section).
  • Assign roles (Owner or Member) where applicable.
  • Invited users receive a notification in their Account section (ticket/badge) to Accept or Refuse. Refusal blocks access, but they can be re-invited.

Note: Dataset access may vary depending on sequence ownership. See Dataset access control.

Two-Person Working Groups

To support more focused collaboration, Arbogen introduces two types of two-person working groups: Working Duo and Closed Working Duo.

These groups are designed to provide a simple, secure, and flexible way for two users to collaborate.

Working Duo

A Working Duo is a standard two-person working group.

  • It behaves exactly like a regular Working Group.
  • It is extensible, meaning additional members can be added later.
  • It is suitable for early-stage or evolving collaborations.

Closed Working Duo

A Closed Working Duo is a restricted two-person group designed for sensitive or confidential collaboration.

  • It is strictly limited to two members
  • No additional members can ever be added
  • This configuration is permanent and cannot be changed

Closed Working Duos are typically used when data access must remain tightly controlled.

Creation Behavior

Manual creation

When creating a working group with exactly one other user:

  • By default, the group is created as a Working Duo.
  • Users can explicitly choose to create a Closed Working Duo.
  • The irreversible nature of the Closed mode is clearly indicated.

Sequence sharing

When requesting access to another user’s sequence:

  • A Closed Working Duo is created by default.
  • The sequence owner must approve the request.
  • Once accepted, the sequence is automatically shared.

Multiple Duos

It is possible to have multiple two-person working groups with the same user.

For example:

  • One Closed Working Duo per project.
  • One Working Duo for general collaboration.

When multiple groups exist, users are prompted to select the appropriate group when sharing content.

Limits and Quotas

  • Closed Working Duos do not count toward the 50 working group limit.
  • Working Duos (non-closed) are counted as standard Working Groups.
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