diff --git a/api/.vscode/settings.json b/api/.vscode/settings.json
index 8ab93830..784ccb47 100644
--- a/api/.vscode/settings.json
+++ b/api/.vscode/settings.json
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 {
     "python.testing.pytestArgs": [
-        "."
+        ".",
+        "-vv"
     ],
     "python.testing.unittestEnabled": false,
     "python.testing.pytestEnabled": true,
diff --git a/api/Dockerfile b/api/Dockerfile
index c0e7f9e2..aac180c8 100644
--- a/api/Dockerfile
+++ b/api/Dockerfile
@@ -12,16 +12,14 @@ WORKDIR /bia-integrator
 #   only add poetry.lock if it exists (building on local)
 ADD ./api/poetry.lock* api/poetry.lock
 ADD ./api/pyproject.toml api/pyproject.toml
-
-# add the actual project, which is what is often changed in between two different container builds
-ADD . .
+ADD bia-shared-datamodels bia-shared-datamodels
 
 WORKDIR /bia-integrator/api
-
 RUN poetry lock
 RUN poetry install
-
 # Everything up to here should be reused most times
 
-
-CMD ["poetry", "run", "uvicorn", "--workers", "4", "--port", "8080", "--log-config", ".api/src/log_config.yml", "--host", "0.0.0.0", "api.app:app"]
+# add the actual project, which is what is often changed in between two different container builds
+ADD . /bia-integrator
+ 
+CMD ["poetry", "run", "uvicorn", "--workers", "4", "--port", "8080", "--log-config", "./src/log_config.yml", "--host", "0.0.0.0", "api.app:app"]
diff --git a/api/api/__init__.py b/api/api/__init__.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..e69de29b
diff --git a/api/api/app.py b/api/api/app.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..98e73a36
--- /dev/null
+++ b/api/api/app.py
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+from . import public
+from . import private
+from .models.repository import repository_create, Repository
+
+
+from fastapi import FastAPI
+from typing import AsyncGenerator
+
+
+async def repository_dependency() -> AsyncGenerator[Repository, None]:
+    db = await repository_create(init=False)
+    try:
+        yield db
+    finally:
+        db.close()
+
+
+app = FastAPI(
+    generate_unique_id_function=lambda route: route.name,
+    # Setting this to true results in duplicated client classes (into *Input and *Output) where the api model has default values
+    # See https://fastapi.tiangolo.com/how-to/separate-openapi-schemas/#do-not-separate-schemas
+    separate_input_output_schemas=False,
+    debug=True,
+)
+
+app.openapi_version = "3.0.2"
+
+# app.include_router(private.router, prefix="/v2")
+# routes applied in the order they are declared
+app.include_router(public.make_router(), prefix="/v2")
+app.include_router(private.make_router(), prefix="/v2")
diff --git a/api/api/constants.py b/api/api/constants.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..abc3ee90
--- /dev/null
+++ b/api/api/constants.py
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+OPENAPI_TAG_PUBLIC = "public"
+OPENAPI_TAG_PRIVATE = "private"
diff --git a/api/api/exceptions.py b/api/api/exceptions.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..3d9f0425
--- /dev/null
+++ b/api/api/exceptions.py
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+from fastapi import HTTPException
+
+STATUS_INVALID_UPDATE = 409
+
+
+class InvalidUpdateException(HTTPException):
+    def __init__(self, detail, **kwargs) -> None:
+        super().__init__(STATUS_INVALID_UPDATE, detail, **kwargs)
+
+
+STATUS_DOCUMENT_NOT_FOUND = 404
+
+
+class DocumentNotFound(HTTPException):
+    def __init__(self, detail, **kwargs) -> None:
+        super().__init__(STATUS_DOCUMENT_NOT_FOUND, detail, **kwargs)
diff --git a/api/api/models/repository.py b/api/api/models/repository.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..23f660cb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/api/api/models/repository.py
@@ -0,0 +1,126 @@
+from motor.motor_asyncio import (
+    AsyncIOMotorClient,
+    AsyncIOMotorCollection,
+    AsyncIOMotorDatabase,
+)
+import os
+from enum import Enum
+import bia_shared_datamodels.bia_data_model as shared_data_models
+import pymongo
+from typing import Any
+from .. import exceptions
+import datetime
+
+from bson.codec_options import CodecOptions
+from bson.datetime_ms import DatetimeMS
+from bson.codec_options import TypeCodec, TypeRegistry
+from bson.binary import UuidRepresentation
+
+
+DB_NAME = os.environ["DB_NAME"]
+COLLECTION_BIA_INTEGRATOR = "bia_integrator"
+COLLECTION_USERS = "users"
+COLLECTION_OME_METADATA = "ome_metadata"
+
+
+class DateCodec(TypeCodec):
+    python_type = datetime.date  # the Python type acted upon by this type codec
+    bson_type = DatetimeMS  # the BSON type acted upon by this type codec
+
+    def transform_python(self, value: datetime.date) -> DatetimeMS:
+        same_day_zero_time = datetime.datetime.combine(
+            value, datetime.datetime.min.time()
+        )
+
+        return DatetimeMS(value=same_day_zero_time)
+
+    def transform_bson(self, value: DatetimeMS) -> datetime.date:
+        return value.as_datetime().date()
+
+
+class OverwriteMode(str, Enum):
+    FAIL = "fail"
+    ALLOW_IDEMPOTENT = "allow_idempotent"
+
+
+class Repository:
+    connection: AsyncIOMotorClient
+    db: AsyncIOMotorDatabase
+    users: AsyncIOMotorCollection
+    biaint: AsyncIOMotorCollection
+    overwrite_mode: OverwriteMode = OverwriteMode.FAIL
+
+    def __init__(self) -> None:
+        mongo_connstring = os.environ["MONGO_CONNSTRING"]
+        self.connection = AsyncIOMotorClient(
+            mongo_connstring, uuidRepresentation="standard", maxPoolSize=10
+        )
+        self.db = self.connection.get_database(
+            DB_NAME,
+            # Looks like explicitly setting codec_options excludes settings from the client
+            #   so uuid_representation needs to be defined even if already defined in connection
+            codec_options=CodecOptions(
+                type_registry=TypeRegistry([DateCodec()]),
+                uuid_representation=UuidRepresentation.STANDARD,
+            ),
+        )
+        self.users = self.db[COLLECTION_USERS]
+        self.biaint = self.db[COLLECTION_BIA_INTEGRATOR]
+        self.ome_metadata = self.db[COLLECTION_OME_METADATA]
+
+    async def persist_doc(self, model_doc: shared_data_models.DocumentMixin):
+        try:
+            return await self.biaint.insert_one(model_doc.model_dump())
+        except pymongo.errors.DuplicateKeyError as e:
+            if (
+                (e.details["code"] == 11000)
+                and (self.overwrite_mode == OverwriteMode.ALLOW_IDEMPOTENT)
+                and (await self._model_doc_exists(model_doc))
+            ):
+                return
+
+            raise exceptions.InvalidUpdateException(str(e))
+
+    async def get_doc(self, uuid: shared_data_models.UUID, doc_type):
+        doc = await self._get_doc_raw(uuid=uuid)
+
+        if doc is None:
+            raise exceptions.DocumentNotFound("Study does not exist")
+
+        return doc_type(**doc)
+
+    async def _model_doc_exists(
+        self, doc_model: shared_data_models.DocumentMixin
+    ) -> bool:
+        return await self._doc_exists(doc_model.model_dump())
+
+    async def _doc_exists(self, doc: dict) -> bool:
+        result = await self._get_doc_raw(uuid=doc["uuid"])
+        if not hasattr(result, "pop"):
+            return False
+
+        result.pop("_id", None)
+        # usually documents we attempt to insert/modify don't have ids, but pymongo modifies the passed dict and adds _id
+        #   so if doing insert(doc), then on failure calling this, doc will actually have _id even if it didn't have it before insert
+        doc.pop("_id", None)
+
+        return result == doc
+
+    async def _get_doc_raw(self, **kwargs) -> Any:
+        doc = await self.biaint.find_one(kwargs)
+        doc.pop("_id")
+
+        return doc
+
+
+async def repository_create(init: bool) -> Repository:
+    repository = Repository()
+
+    if init:
+        pass
+        # TODO
+        # await repository._init_collection_biaint()
+        # await repository._init_collection_users()
+        # await repository._init_collection_ome_metadata()
+
+    return repository
diff --git a/api/api/private.py b/api/api/private.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..c11dc3aa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/api/api/private.py
@@ -0,0 +1,50 @@
+from fastapi import APIRouter
+from pydantic.alias_generators import to_snake
+
+import bia_shared_datamodels.bia_data_model as shared_data_models
+from .models.repository import Repository
+from . import constants
+from fastapi import APIRouter, Depends, status
+
+router = APIRouter(
+    prefix="/private",
+    # dependencies=[Depends(get_current_user)], TODO
+    tags=[constants.OPENAPI_TAG_PRIVATE],
+)
+models_private = [
+    shared_data_models.Study,
+    shared_data_models.FileReference,
+    shared_data_models.ImageRepresentation,
+    shared_data_models.ExperimentalImagingDataset,
+    shared_data_models.Specimen,
+    shared_data_models.ExperimentallyCapturedImage,
+    shared_data_models.ImageAcquisition,
+    shared_data_models.SpecimenImagingPrepartionProtocol,
+    shared_data_models.SpecimenGrowthProtocol,
+    shared_data_models.BioSample,
+    shared_data_models.ImageAnnotationDataset,
+    shared_data_models.AnnotationFileReference,
+    shared_data_models.DerivedImage,
+    shared_data_models.AnnotationMethod,
+]
+
+
+def make_post_item(t):
+    async def post_item(doc: t, db: Repository = Depends()) -> None:
+        await db.persist_doc(doc)
+
+    return post_item
+
+
+def make_router() -> APIRouter:
+    for t in models_private:
+        router.add_api_route(
+            "/" + to_snake(t.__name__),
+            operation_id=f"post{t.__name__}",
+            summary=f"Create {t.__name__}",
+            methods=["POST"],
+            endpoint=make_post_item(t),
+            status_code=status.HTTP_201_CREATED,
+        )
+
+    return router
diff --git a/api/api/public.py b/api/api/public.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..9aa5657b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/api/api/public.py
@@ -0,0 +1,60 @@
+from fastapi import APIRouter, Depends
+from pydantic.alias_generators import to_snake
+
+# ?
+import bia_shared_datamodels.bia_data_model as shared_data_models
+from .models.repository import Repository
+from . import constants
+
+
+router = APIRouter(
+    prefix="/private",
+    # dependencies=[Depends(get_current_user)], TODO
+    tags=[constants.OPENAPI_TAG_PUBLIC],
+)
+models_public = [
+    shared_data_models.Study,
+    shared_data_models.FileReference,
+    shared_data_models.ImageRepresentation,
+    shared_data_models.ExperimentalImagingDataset,
+    shared_data_models.Specimen,
+    shared_data_models.ExperimentallyCapturedImage,
+    shared_data_models.ImageAcquisition,
+    shared_data_models.SpecimenImagingPrepartionProtocol,
+    shared_data_models.SpecimenGrowthProtocol,
+    shared_data_models.BioSample,
+    shared_data_models.ImageAnnotationDataset,
+    shared_data_models.AnnotationFileReference,
+    shared_data_models.DerivedImage,
+    shared_data_models.AnnotationMethod,
+]
+
+
+def make_get_item(t):
+    # variables are function-scoped => add wrapper to bind each value of t
+    # https://eev.ee/blog/2011/04/24/gotcha-python-scoping-closures/
+
+    # @TODO: nicer wrapper?
+    async def get_item(uuid: shared_data_models.UUID, db: Repository = Depends()) -> t:
+        return await db.get_doc(uuid, t)
+
+    return get_item
+
+
+def make_router() -> APIRouter:
+    for t in models_public:
+        router.add_api_route(
+            f"/{to_snake(t.__name__)}/{{uuid}}",
+            response_model=t,
+            operation_id=f"get{t.__name__}",
+            summary=f"Get {t.__name__}",
+            methods=["GET"],
+            endpoint=make_get_item(t),
+        )
+
+    return router
+
+
+@router.get("/placeholder")
+def example_custom_handler():
+    pass
diff --git a/api/api/tests/__init__.py b/api/api/tests/__init__.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..e69de29b
diff --git a/api/api/tests/test_minimal.py b/api/api/tests/test_minimal.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..33fce051
--- /dev/null
+++ b/api/api/tests/test_minimal.py
@@ -0,0 +1,89 @@
+"""
+WIP minimal tests
+"""
+
+from fastapi.testclient import TestClient
+import pytest
+import uuid as uuid_lib
+
+
+TEST_SERVER_BASE_URL = "http://localhost.com/v2"
+
+
+def get_uuid() -> str:
+    # @TODO: make this constant and require mongo to always be clean?
+    generated = uuid_lib.uuid4()
+
+    return str(generated)
+
+
+def get_client(**kwargs) -> TestClient:
+    from fastapi.responses import JSONResponse
+    from fastapi import Request
+    import traceback
+
+    from ..app import app
+
+    @app.exception_handler(Exception)
+    def generic_exception_handler(request: Request, exc: Exception):
+        return JSONResponse(
+            status_code=500,
+            content=traceback.format_exception(exc, value=exc, tb=exc.__traceback__),
+        )
+
+    return TestClient(app, base_url=TEST_SERVER_BASE_URL, **kwargs)
+
+
+@pytest.fixture(scope="module")
+def api_client() -> TestClient:
+    client = get_client(raise_server_exceptions=False)
+    # authenticate_client(client)  # @TODO: DELETEME
+
+    return client
+
+
+def test_create_study(api_client: TestClient):
+    study_uuid = get_uuid()
+    study = {
+        "uuid": study_uuid,
+        "version": 0,
+        "release_date": "2023-01-31",
+        "accession_id": study_uuid,
+        "title": "Test BIA study",
+        "description": "description",
+        "licence": "CC_BY_4.0",
+        "see_also": [],
+        "model": {"type_name": "Study", "version": 1},
+        "acknowledgement": "test",
+        "funding_statement": "test",
+        "grant": [],
+        "keyword": [],
+        "related_publication": [],
+        "author": [
+            {
+                "address": None,
+                "display_name": "Test name",
+                "contact_email": "test_email@test.com",
+                "orcid": None,
+                "role": None,
+                "rorid": None,
+                "website": None,
+                "affiliation": [
+                    {
+                        "display_name": "Test",
+                        "address": None,
+                        "rorid": None,
+                        "website": None,
+                    }
+                ],
+            }
+        ],
+        "attribute": {},
+    }
+
+    rsp = api_client.post("private/study", json=study)
+    assert rsp.status_code == 201, rsp.json()
+
+    rsp = api_client.get(f"study/{study['uuid']}")
+    assert rsp.status_code == 200, rsp.text
+    assert rsp.json() == study
diff --git a/docker-compose.yml b/docker-compose.yml
index 455df4b8..41a4ae23 100755
--- a/docker-compose.yml
+++ b/docker-compose.yml
@@ -27,13 +27,10 @@ services:
       - 8080:8080
     expose:
       - 8080
-    volumes:
-      - "./.env_compose:/integrator-api/.env"
     depends_on:
       - biaint-mongo
 
-
 volumes:
   api_data:
     #? do we always want a 'seed db'?
-    #external: true
\ No newline at end of file
+    #external: true