What is the Protein Data Bank (PDB)?
Q: What is the Protein Data Bank (PDB)?
A: The Protein Data Bank (PDB) is a collection of information about the three dimensional (3-D) structure of large biological molecules, such as proteins and nucleic acids.
Q: Where does the data in the PDB come from?
A: Most data comes from X-ray crystallography or NMR spectroscopy.
Q: Who sends in the data for the PDB?
A: Biologists and biochemists from around the world send in the data.
Q: Can anyone access the PDB?
A: Yes, anyone can access the PDB for free online.
Q: Who manages the PDB?
A: The Worldwide Protein Data Bank (wwPDB) manages the PDB.
Q: Why is the PDB useful for scientists?
A: The PDB is useful for scientists studying structural biology and structural genomics.
Q: Who sends their information to the PDB?
A: Many scientists have to send their information to the database. Major scientific journals and some funding agencies, such as the National Institutes of Health in the United States have rules telling scientists to send the data to the PDB.
