The Protein Data Bank: Current Status and Future Challenges

Abstract

The Protein Data Bank (PDB) is an archive of experimentally determined, three-dimensional structures of proteins, nucleic acids, and other biological macromolecules. The PDB is now being transformed into 3DB, the Three-Dimensional Database of Biomacromolecular Structures, with significantly enhanced capabilities. 1 Introduction The Protein Data Bank (PDB) is an archive of experimentally determined, three-dimensional structures of proteins, nucleic acids, and other biological macromolecules [1, 2]. PDB has a 25-year history of service to a global community of researchers, educators, and students in a variety of scientific disciplines [3]. The common interest shared by this community is a need to access information that can relate the biological functions of macromolecules to their three-dimensional structures. The PDB is now being transformed into 3DB, the ThreeDimensional Database of Biomacromolecular Structures, which will continue to operate from Brookhaven National Laboratory. The c..