National Center for Biotechnology Information facts for kids
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| Abbreviation | NCBI |
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| Founded | 1988 |
| Headquarters | Bethesda, Maryland |
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Official language
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English |
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Director
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Stephen Sherry (since September 26, 2022) |
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Parent organization
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United States National Library of Medicine |
| Affiliations | National Institutes of Health |
The National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) is a special part of the National Library of Medicine (NLM). This library is part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), which is a big health research group in the United States. NCBI was started in 1988 and is located in Bethesda, Maryland.
NCBI helps scientists and students learn about living things. It has many online databases. These databases store important information about biotechnology and biomedicine. For example, GenBank holds information about DNA sequences. PubMed is another database with lots of articles about health and science. All these databases can be searched using a tool called Entrez.
Contents
GenBank: The DNA Database
Since 1992, NCBI has been in charge of the GenBank database. This database stores DNA sequences from many different living things. Scientists from all over the world share their DNA findings with GenBank.
GenBank works with other similar databases. These include the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) and the DNA Data Bank of Japan (DDBJ). This teamwork helps make sure that DNA information is shared globally.
Other Important Databases
Besides GenBank, NCBI has many other useful databases.
- The Gene database stores information about different genes.
- The Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man (OMIM) database has details about human genes and genetic diseases.
- The Molecular Modeling Database shows 3D shapes of proteins.
- dbSNP lists tiny differences in DNA called single-nucleotide polymorphisms.
- The Reference Sequence Collection provides standard DNA, RNA, and protein sequences.
- There is also a map of the human genome.
- A taxonomy browser helps identify and classify different species.
NCBI also works with the National Cancer Institute. They help with the Cancer Genome Anatomy Project. NCBI gives a special ID number to every species of organism.
BLAST: Finding Similar Sequences
NCBI offers many software tools online. One very popular tool is BLAST. BLAST stands for Basic Local Alignment Search Tool. It helps scientists find similar DNA or protein sequences. For example, if you have a new DNA sequence, BLAST can quickly search GenBank. It can find other sequences that are similar to yours in less than 15 seconds. This helps scientists understand what a new sequence might do.
NCBI Bookshelf: Online Science Books
The NCBI Bookshelf is a collection of science books you can read for free online. These books cover many topics. They include molecular biology, biochemistry, cell biology, genetics, microbiology, and virology. Some books are online versions of books that were printed before. Others are written by NCBI staff. The Bookshelf helps explain complex science topics. It gives a deeper understanding of research found in articles on PubMed.
Entrez: The Global Search System
The Entrez Global Query Cross-Database Search System is like a super search engine for all of NCBI's databases. You can use Entrez to search for information in many databases at once. These include databases for DNA and protein sequences, protein structures, PubMed articles, and taxonomy.
NCBI first launched Entrez in 1991. It was designed to bring together information from many different sources. This makes it easier for scientists to find all the related information they need.
Protein Database: All About Proteins
The Protein database at NCBI keeps records for individual protein sequences. These sequences come from many different places. This includes the NCBI Reference Sequence (RefSeq) project, GenBank, and other databases.
The Protein database helps users find information about genes, DNA/RNA sequences, and how proteins work. It also shows similar proteins that have been found by BLAST. NCBI also has a Structure database. This database contains 3D shapes of proteins that scientists have studied.
Conserved Domain Database (CDD)
The CDD is part of the Protein database. It has information about parts of proteins that are very similar across different species. These parts are called "conserved domains." They often have important jobs in the protein.
Protein Clusters Database
There is also a Protein Clusters database. This database groups protein sequences together. They are grouped based on how similar they are to each other. This helps scientists study families of proteins.
PubChem Database: Molecules and Their Activities
The PubChem database is another important resource at NCBI. It is a public database for information about molecules. It also shows how these molecules act in biological tests. You can search PubChem using the Entrez system.
See also
In Spanish: Centro Nacional para la Información Biotecnológica para niños
- DNA Data Bank of Japan (DDBJ)
- European Bioinformatics Institute (EBI)
