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At least 199 records · Page 11Linked to original sources
PubMed2004

Immunohistochemical studies of scrapie archival material from Irish ARQ/ARQ sheep for evidence of bovine spongiform encephalopathy-derived disease.

Since scrapie and bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in sheep are clinicopathologically indistinguishable, BSE in sheep may have been misdiagnosed as scrapie. Disease-specific prion protein (PrP(d)) patterns in archival tissues of 38 Irish ARQ/ARQ sheep diagnosed as scrapie-affected were compared to those in four Dutch BSE-challenged sheep. When medulla oblongata was immunolabelled with an antibody directed against amino acids 93-99 of ovine prion protein (ovPrP), intraneuronal PrP(d) was apparent in all 38 Irish sheep but was absent in BSE-challenged sheep. When lymphoid follicles were immunolabelled with antibodies directed against amino acids 93-106 of ovPrP, granule clusters of PrP(d) were seen in 34 of the 38 Irish sheep. Follicles of the remaining four archive sheep contained either no PrP(d) or single PrP(d) granules, similar to follicles from BSE-challenged sheep. Based on the medulla results, none of the archival cases had BSE-derived disease. The identification of some scrapie sheep with little or no intrafollicular PrP(d) suggests that this technique may be limited in discriminating between the two diseases.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

Design and operation of a nuclear medicine picture archiving and communication system.

Construction of a new Veterans Administration Medical Center provided a unique opportunity to design and implement a state-of-the-art nuclear medicine department in a large teaching and research hospital. The new medical center allowed the acquisition of all new gamma cameras and computer systems without any historical need to patch together a system of old and new equipment. The picture archiving and communication system (PACS) was designed to link five gamma cameras to four image viewing areas, followed by digital archive on an optical disc. The gamma cameras' computers and viewing areas' computers are linked to a central networking computer in a manner that provides nine independent but digitally communicating image computers. Each nuclear medicine computer is capable of acquiring gamma camera data while possibly also performing up to three other simultaneous tasks: analysis of image data, transfer of image data from node to node, and patient database manipulation. The nine image computers each appear to the user as a digital file cabinet, containing various folders, which in turn contain patient studies. To transfer a patient study from one location to another, the user simply queues a transfer request by selecting a file drawer-folder combination for the source and destination locations. It takes only a few seconds to queue a transfer request, and the transfer is complete about a minute later without any further user intervention. A computer genie awakens during the early morning off-hours and performs housekeeping tasks, including movement of patient studies (based on date of acquisition) from active viewing folders to inactive archive folders. All scheduling, workload data, patient image reports, etc, are handled by a patient textual information database system. Patient reports and scheduling information are transmitted to the medical center's central computer where they are made readily available throughout the medical center. The PACS, in clinical use since the spring of 1988, is practical and well-received by technologists, nuclear medicine physicians, and more importantly, our consumer, the referring physicians.

Hospital Information Systems↗
PubMed2001

Quantitative gene expression analysis in microdissected archival formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded tumor tissue.

Formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue is the most widely available material for retrospective clinical studies. In combination with the potential of genomics, these tissues represent an invaluable resource for the elucidation of disease mechanisms and validation of differentially expressed genes as novel therapeutic targets or prognostic indicators. We describe here an approach that, in combination with laser-assisted microdissection allows quantitative gene expression analysis in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded archival tissue. Using an optimized RNA microscale extraction procedure in conjunction with real-time quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction based on fluorogenic TaqMan methodology, we analyzed the expression of a panel of cancer-relevant genes, EGF-R, HER-2/neu, FGF-R4, p21/WAF1/Cip1, MDM2, and HPRT and PGK as controls. We demonstrate that expression level determinations from formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissues are accurate and reproducible. Measurements were comparable to those obtained with matching fresh-frozen tissue and neither fixation grade nor time significantly affected the results. Laser microdissection studies with 5-microm thick sections and defined numbers of tumor cells demonstrated that reproducible quantitation of specific mRNAs can be achieved with only 50 cells. We applied our approach to HER-2/neu quantitative gene expression analysis in 54 microdissected tumor and nonneoplastic archival samples from patients with Barrett's esophageal adenocarcinoma and showed that the results matched those obtained in parallel by fluorescence in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry. Thus, the combination of laser-assisted microdissection and real-time TaqMan reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction opens new avenues for the investigation and clinical validation of gene expression changes in archival tissue specimens.

Animals↗
PubMed1998

Monoclonal antibodies raised to paraffin wax embedded archival tissue; feasibility study of their potential to detect novel antigenic markers.

A study to determine the feasibility of using archival paraffin wax embedded tissue to generate monoclonal antibodies is described. Specifically, monoclonal antibodies were raised to paraffin wax embedded normal human kidney tissue to test the possibility of producing antibodies to such tissue samples prior to attempting generation of antibodies to valuable archival tissue. Multiple sections (10 x 5 microm) were pooled and dewaxed as for immunohistochemical procedures and combined with Freund's adjuvant for immunization of BALB/c mice in vivo. Immunized spleen cells were fused with SP2 myeloma cells and subsequent clones screened on paraffin wax embedded normal human kidney sections, a range of cell lines and normal mouse tissue. Supernatants from 11 wells (from a total of 90 wells screened) showed different staining patterns on sections of paraffin wax embedded kidney. One clone, 1/11C, (isotype IgG1) which exhibited strong staining on all kidney tubules by immunohistochemical studies (glomeruli interstitium and vessels were unstained) and identified a band at 52 kDa on immunoblots of dewaxed kidney tissue (as used for immunogen) was chosen for further characterization. Immunoblotting of five mammalian cell lines showed differential expression of this 52 kDa band (distinct expression on 3/5, weak expression on 2/5 cell lines) whereas, all cell lines displayed a band at 44 kDa and a third band at 70 kDa was observed on 2/5 cell lines. In mouse tissue extracts, the 52 kDa band was identified in kidney tissue only (not in the lung, liver or spleen) with the 44 kDa and 70 kDa bands weakly expressed in all tissues. This preliminary investigation of a novel approach to identifying possible new antigenic markers or producing monoclonal antibodies which react better to known antigens on sections of paraffin wax embedded tissue showed that this method is feasible. The need to have a comprehensive screening system in place and the ability to identify potentially useful clones after the initial screening is paramount due to the relative scarcity of screening material (archival tissue sections) and the tedious nature of the screening method.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Immunoquantitation of cytochromes P450 1A and P450 2B and comparison with chlorinated hydrocarbon levels in archived polar bear liver samples.

The present study examined the utility of an immunoblot method for quantitation of cytochrome P450 isozymes in archived liver samples as a bioassay of exposure to halogenated hydrocarbons. Hepatic microsomes were prepared from 44 archived polar bear (Ursus maritimus) liver homogenates that had been stored at approximately -40 degrees C for 9-10 years and analyzed on blots probed with antibodies to rat cytochromes P450 1A1 and P450 2B1. The results revealed a positive correlation between cytochrome P450 1A and total polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) levels in the archived liver samples, suggesting that cytochrome P450 1A was induced in polar bears by environmental exposure to PCBs.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Morphological and biochemical assessment of DNA damage and apoptosis in Down syndrome and Alzheimer disease, and effect of postmortem tissue archival on TUNEL.

We have previously shown that Alzheimer disease (AD) brain exhibits terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end-labeling (TUNEL) for DNA damage and morphological evidence for apoptosis. Down syndrome (DS) is a neurodegenerative disorder that exhibits significant neuropathological parallels with AD. In accordance with these parallels and the need to clarify the mechanism of cell death in DS and AD, we investigated two principal issues in the present study. First, we investigated the hypothesis that TUNEL labeling for DNA damage and morphological evidence for apoptosis is also present in the DS brain. All DS cases employed had a neuropathological diagnosis of AD. Analysis of these cases showed that DS brain exhibits a significant increase in the number of TUNEL-labeled nuclei relative to controls matched for age, Postmortem Delay, and Archival Length, and that a subset of TUNEL-positive nuclei exhibits apoptotic morphologies. We also report that Archival Length in 10% formalin can significantly affect TUNEL labeling in postmortem human brain, and therefore, that Archival Length must be controlled for as a variable in this type of study. Second, we investigated whether biochemical evidence for the mechanism of cell death in DS and AD could be detected. To address this question we employed pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) as a sensitive method to evaluate DNA integrity. Although apoptotic oligonucleosomal laddering has not previously been observed in AD, PFGE of DNA from control, DS and AD brain in the present study revealed evidence of high molecular weight DNA fragmentation indicative of apoptosis. This represents biochemical support for an apoptotic mechanism of cell death in DS and AD.

Adult↗
PubMed2003

Web-based submission, archive, and review of radiotherapy data for clinical quality assurance: a new paradigm.

PURPOSE: To report on the implementation of a web-based system (the Resource Center for Emerging Technologies [RCET] System) that provides immediate access to the patient radiotherapy planning and delivery data for clinical quality assurance (QA) by the experts. MATERIALS AND METHODS: An infrastructure of comprehensive tools required for preparation, submission, auto-archiving, web-based review, and retrieval of diagnostic images, treatment planning images, and radiation therapy objects has been developed. These tools represent approximately 1.1 million lines of computer code development in seven languages (V, C++, Visual Basic, Java, ASP, HTML, and SQL) and consist of a secure auto-anonymizing upload and auto-archiving patient database, a web-based secure object archiving network system, a web-based rapid review tool, a web-based upload/download tool, and a personal computer client data application for data object preparation, visualization, and submission, named NetSys. The RCET system enables users to share radiotherapy data in a secure environment. This paradigm of electronic data exchange makes remote peer review very efficient and convenient. RESULTS: The RCET system can help the radiation therapy community ensure consistent evaluation of its therapies. It will encourage proactive QA. An example of proactive clinical QA would be to provide atlases of target and critical structure definitions, to serve as class solutions, as well as dose prescription, specification, and reporting examples for guidance to the radiation oncologists in the community. The web-based clinical quality assurance is ideally suited for emerging technologies in radiation therapy that generate complex and voluminous multimodality imaging and planning data. CONCLUSIONS: The RCET system enables users to share multimodality imaging data, radiation therapy planning, and delivery data on demand. Our design paradigm will allow rapid peer review of radiotherapy data through a simple personal computer-based web browser.

Humans↗
PubMed2004

Multiple HPV genotypes in cervical carcinomas: improved DNA detection and typing in archival tissues.

BACKGROUND: Human papillomaviruses (HPV) have been considered to be the necessary and central agents of cervical carcinoma. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and genotypes of HPV in archival cervical carcinomas. STUDY DESIGN: The study included 152 paraffin-embedded, formaldehyde-fixed cervical carcinoma specimens. To improve the detection and typing of HPV in archival tissues, we conducted a comprehensive study in which, polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based methods using E7 type-specific (TS) and L1 modified general primers (MY11/GP6+ and GP5+/GP6+) were employed. RESULTS: Overall HPV prevalence was 98% in the cervical carcinomas. HPV 16 was detected in 66% of the tumors, HPV 18 in 22%, HPV 31 in 13%, HPV 33 in 9%, and HPV 58 in 9%. Notably, multiple HPV types were present in 44 (28.9%) of the 152 cervical carcinomas. The most common co-infections were HPV types 16/18 (12 cases), followed by HPV types 16/31 (7 cases). Additionally, HPV 18 was more frequent in adenocarcinomas and adenosquamous carcinomas (86%) than in squamous cell carcinomas (15.8%) (P = 0.0002). CONCLUSIONS: The combination of L1 general primers and E7 type-specific primers can be of use in detecting HPV DNA in archival tissues. The present study showed a high frequency of multiple HPV infections in cervical carcinomas. Hence, relevant HPV typing information in cervical carcinoma is very important for further HPV vaccine design and application.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Laser capture microdissection MALDI for direct analysis of archival tissue.

MALDI mass spectra were obtained from cancer cells isolated by laser capture microdissection (LCM) of archived tissue. Frozen human lung tissue from adenocarcenoma and squamous cell carcenoma cases were cut into 5 to 15 microm thick sections, stained with hematoxylin and dehydrated. Cancer cells were isolated by LCM, mixed with matrix solution, and deposited on a MALDI target for mass spectrometric analysis. For comparison with LCM isolated cells, tissue sections were placed directly on the MALDI target without microdissection. Tissue sections frozen in optimal cutting temperature (OCT) solution and cut into 8 microm thick sections gave the best performance with direct MALDI analysis. Between 15 and 20 peaks were observed in the mass region between 1,000 and 4,000 Da, and roughly half of these peaks were common to either squamous cells or adenocarcenoma. Additional peaks were observed in the non-LCM mass spectra and these may result from biomolecules in the healthy tissue. When compared to fresh tissue, both LCM and non-LCM archived tissue produced fewer peaks, possibly due to degradation of the biomolecules in the archived tissue.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed1995

Processing of long-stored archival cervical smears for human papillomavirus detection by the polymerase chain reaction.

The efficiency of a freeze-thaw method, a proteinase K/Tween 20 lysis method and a guanidinium isothiocyanate/silica beads method for DNA extraction from fixed and Papanicolaou-stained cells from the cervical cancer cell line Siha was measured by beta-globin polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The GTC/silica beads method, which appeared superior, revealed a human papillomavirus (HPV) general primer-mediated PCR sensitivity of 50-500 copies of HPV 16 per sample using dilutions of fixed and stained Siha cells. Application to archival cervical smears (n = 116) revealed that the yield and size of amplifiable DNA decreases with storage time. The longer the storage time, the more repetitions of the whole procedure, including the lysis step, were required to extract sufficient amplifiable DNA. In this way, an overall beta-globin PCR positivity for 98% of the smears was reached. Further analysis revealed that a maximum size of 200 bp could be amplified from smears stored for up to 9 years. The method was validated by demonstrating by PCR the same HPV types in archival smears and corresponding cervical biopsies of cervical cancer patients. In conclusion, the GTC/silica beads method appears suitable to process archival cervical smears for HPV detection by PCR. provided that stepwise adjustments are made until beta-globin PCR positivity is obtained and primers are chosen which amplify a maximum of about 200 bp.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed2000

Detection of cryptic Y chromosome mosaicism by coamplification PCR with archived cytogenetic slides of suspected Turner syndrome.

Turner syndrome is one of the most common cytogenetic abnormalities. It is known that the Y chromosome or Y derived material is present in 6-9% of TS patient and it may develop a high risk of gonadoblastoma in 15-25%. So it is crucial to carry out cyto genetic analysis and Y-specific probe studies for all persons with gonadal dysgenesis to rule out mosaicism with Y-bearing cell line; eg 45,X/46,XY. In this study, 26 archival slides previously analyzed cytogenetically as 45,X, 45,X/46,X,i(X), 45,X/46,X,r(X), and 45,X/46,XX were examined. Coamplification PCR, having the advantage of providing rapid result and confirming PCR failure, was performed with the slide samples in the regions of dystrophin gene in Xp21and DYZ3 in the Y centromeric region. All of archived slides were positive for X-specific gene and one slide of 45,X was found to have the cryptic Y chromosome material. Our result suggests that the archived cytogenetic slides could be applied for the detection of Y chromosome rapidly and efficiently in TS patients.

Biopsy↗
PubMed2006

Application of array CGH on archival formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissues including small numbers of microdissected cells.

Array-based comparative genomic hybridisation (aCGH) has diverse applications in cancer gene discovery and translational research. Currently, aCGH is performed primarily using high molecular weight DNA samples and its application to formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissues remains to be established. To explore how aCGH can be reliably applied to archival FFPE tissues and whether it is possible to apply aCGH to small numbers of cells microdissected from FFPE tissue sections, we have systematically performed aCGH on 15 pairs of matched frozen and FFPE astrocytic tumour tissues using a well-established in-house human 1 Mb BAC/PAC genomic array. By spiking tumour DNA with normal DNA, we demonstrated that at least 70% of tumour DNA was required for reliable aCGH analysis. Using aCGH data from frozen tissue as a reference, it was found that only FFPE astrocytic tumour tissues that supported PCR amplification of >300 bp DNA fragment provided high quality, reproducible aCGH data. The presence of necrosis in a tissue specimen had an adverse effect on the quality of aCGH, while fixation in formalin for up to 96 h of fresh tissue did not appear to affect the quality of the result. As little as 10-20 ng DNA from frozen or FFPE tissues could be readily used for aCGH analysis following whole genome amplification (WGA). Furthermore, as few as 2000 microdissected cells from haematoxylin-stained slides of archival FFPE tissues could be successfully used for aCGH investigations when WGA was used. By careful assessment of DNA integrity and review of histology, to exclude necrosis and select specimens with a high proportion of tumour cells, it is feasible to preselect archival FFPE tissues adequate for aCGH analysis. With the help of microdissection and WGA, it is also possible to apply aCGH to histologically defined lesions, such as carcinoma in situ.

Astrocytoma↗
PubMed1999

An evaluation of immunofluorescence and PCR methods for detection of rabies in archival Carnoy-fixed, paraffin-embedded brain tissue.

Direct immunofluorescence and PCR detection methods were compared for sensitivity in evaluating the rabies status of archival specimens of Carnoy-fixed, paraffin-embedded brain tissue. The material consisted of 23 samples obtained during a rabies outbreak in Finland in 1988, and one sample isolated from a bat researcher who died of rabies in Finland in 1985. These results were compared with the original diagnoses performed on the fresh tissues. The immunofluorescence assay detected 100% (12/12) of the rabies-positive archival cases. A PCR assay designed to detect a 139-bp target near the 5' end of the rabies nucleoprotein gene also detected 100% (12/12) of the samples identified as positive in the fresh tissue specimens. A PCR assay designed to detect a 304-bp target spanning the 139-bp target of the first assay detected only 67% (8/12) of the original cases. No false positives were recorded. Both immunofluorescence detection of antigen and PCR detection of a short region of the nucleoprotein gene are useful in determining the rabies status of fixed, paraffin embedded (archival) material.

Animals↗
PubMed2003

[Conception and data transfer analysis of an open-source digital image archive designed for radiology].

PURPOSE: Implementation of a self-designed, web-based digital image archive incorporating the existing DICOM infrastructure to assure distribution of digital pictures and reports and to optimize work flow. Assessment after three years. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Open-source software was used to guarantee highest reliability and cost effectiveness. In view of rapidly increasing capacity and decreasing costs of hard discs (HDs), HDs were preferred over slower and expensive magneto-optical disk (MOD) or tape storage systems. The number of installed servers increased from one to 12. By installing HDs with increased capacities, the number of servers should be kept constant. Entry and access of data were analyzed over two 4-month periods (after 1.5 and 2 years of continuous operations). RESULTS: Our digital image archive was found to be very reliable, cost effective and suitable for its designated tasks. As judged from the measured access volume, the average utilization of the system increased by 160 %. In the period from January to April 2002, the users accessed 239.8 gigabyte of the stored 873.7 gigabyte image data (27 %). The volume of the stored data added 20%, mainly due to an increase in cross-section imaging. CONCLUSION: The challenge of developing a digital image archive with limited financial resources resulted in a practicable and expandable solution. The utilization, number of active users and volume of transferred data have increased significantly. Our concept of utilizing HDs for image storage proved to be successful.

Computer Systems↗
PubMed2003

SciQuest and the complete archive of the NZVJ launched online.

The complete archive of the New Zealand Veterinary Journal went online on 1 January 2003 on SciQuest (www.sciquest.org.nz), an innovative new e-publishing website developed by the New Zealand Veterinary Association (NZVA). This follows hot on the heels of the CD-Rom version released from the same platform in June last year. Subscribers in 2003 will be able to search and retrieve, online, the full text of any article published in the journal since its inception in 1952. To date, few veterinary science journals are able to offer such a complete and comprehensive resource. SciQuest's mission is to provide high-speed access to science and continuing education articles to scientists and veterinarians in a fully indexed and searchable format, both online (via the internet) and offline (via CD-Rom). Searching and browsing the archive online is free and abstracts are available for all articles published from 1972 onwards. Access to full text, which is presented in PDF format exactly as published, is restricted to journal subscribers. The site will be updated with each issue of the journal as it is published. The online format will largely suit institutional users and casual enquiries, whereas the offline version is designed to be loaded onto computer hard drives for immediate access, any-time, and is better suited to frequent users and veterinary practitioners. A major advantage of the offline resource is its speed and immediacy, returning search results and full text much faster than the online version, without the need for internet access. The search engine has been designed to suit specific problem-oriented enquiries, and great effort has been expended to ensure the archive is both complete and accurate. The same search engine and interface has been provided on both versions, which allows for fast and highly specific searching of titles and full text of all articles for the occurrence of any word or combinations of words, as well as indexes of author, volume, year, article type, animal type and subject. Search results can be instantly sorted by author and date of publication, and powerful secondary search features such as 'by the same author', 'in the same issue' and 'same subject' links add power and flexibility. The offline version will be updated with annual releases and is available for purchase to subscribers and members of the NZVA.

Editorial↗
PubMed2002

Application of a yeast assay to detect functional p53 mutations in archival prostate cancer tissue.

Detection and functional evaluation of mutant p53 alleles using a yeast assay could yield significant information for predicting the prognosis of patients with prostate cancer (CaP). Since the current version of this yeast assay is not applicable to archival tissues, we developed a modified assay for use on formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue and have applied it to the study of patient samples. Using this modified assay, we examined archival CaP samples from 10 patients for mutations in exons 5-8 of p53 gene. Mutations were detected in four samples: three resulted in the formation of red yeast colonies indicating complete loss of function, while one gave pink yeast colonies, indicating that this mutant retained partial function. In parallel, we analyzed these samples for p53 abnormalities using a single-strand conformational polymorphism (SSCP) approach. Only three of the four yeast-positive samples gave abnormal SSCP bands. In each case where abnormal p53 was found by both methods, DNA sequencing revealed the identical base change. These results suggest that the modified yeast assay may be more sensitive than SSCP for detection of p53 mutations, and demonstrate that the modified method can be used to detect and evaluate the function of p53 mutants present in archival tissue.

Genes, p53↗
PubMed1997

Spectrophotometric detection of RT-PCR-amplified BCR/ABL fusion transcripts. A survey performed on archival hematologic slides.

We describe a method of spectrophotometric detection of BCR/ABL chimeric sequences amplified by multiplex reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), enabling the use of archival hematologic slides as RNA sources. Multiplex PCR amplified b3a2, b2a2, and e1a2 break points of the BCR/ABL translocation and the normal ABL gene product. Assessment of sensitivity, performed on K562 cells, showed that the threshold approximated radioactive methods of detection (i.e., 1 positive cell in 1 x 10(6) negative cells for single round PCR and lower than 1 positive cell in 1 x 10(7) negative cells for nested PCR). Then, we assayed 38 different archival hematologic slides from 18 patients, including 11 cases of chronic myelogenous leukemia or chronic myelogenous leukemia-like disease, such as a case of myelofibrosis and a case of chronic neutrophilic leukemia, 6 cases of acute lymphoblastic leukemia, and 1 case of acute myelogenous leukemia. Amplification and spectrophotometric detection of BCR/ABL fusion messenger RNAs gave an unambiguous positive result in 24 (89%) of 27 expected positive slides, among which 17 (63%) were positive after a single PCR round. Concordant unambiguous results were obtained from 35 (92%) of 38 slides, as verified through parallel analyses of corresponding cryopreserved cells. Retrospective analysis on archival hematologic slides yielded identification of the presence or absence of the t(9;22) translocation and break point in 14 previously uncharacterized cases. The application of this method can help define the diagnosis of cases lacking other appropriate material and assist in the retrospective analysis of large patient series for which only smears are available.

Cell Line↗
PubMed2006

The worldwide Protein Data Bank (wwPDB): ensuring a single, uniform archive of PDB data.

The worldwide Protein Data Bank (wwPDB) is the international collaboration that manages the deposition, processing and distribution of the PDB archive. The online PDB archive is a repository for the coordinates and related information for more than 38 000 structures, including proteins, nucleic acids and large macromolecular complexes that have been determined using X-ray crystallography, NMR and electron microscopy techniques. The founding members of the wwPDB are RCSB PDB (USA), MSD-EBI (Europe) and PDBj (Japan) [H.M. Berman, K. Henrick and H. Nakamura (2003) Nature Struct. Biol., 10, 980]. The BMRB group (USA) joined the wwPDB in 2006. The mission of the wwPDB is to maintain a single archive of macromolecular structural data that are freely and publicly available to the global community. Additionally, the wwPDB provides a variety of services to a broad community of users. The wwPDB website at http://www.wwpdb.org/ provides information about services provided by the individual member organizations and about projects undertaken by the wwPDB.

Databases, Protein↗