THE PIR-INTERNATIONAL PROTEIN-SEQUENCE DATABASE

From its origin the Protein Sequence Database has been designed to sup port research and has focused on comprehensive coverage, quality contr ol and organization of the data in accordance with biological principl es. Since 1988 the database has been maintained collaboratively within the framework of PIR-lnternational, an association of macromolecular sequence data collection centers dedicated to fostering international cooperation as an essential element in the development of scientific d atabases. The database is widely distributed and is available on the W orld Wide Web, via ftp, email server, on CD-ROM and magnetic media. It is widely redistributed and incorporated into many other protein sequ ence data compilations, including SWISS-PROT and the Entrez system of the NCBI.