Protein Databases

Proteins, also known as the essential building blocks of the human body, are a vital part of living organisms. Studies regarding the structure and functions of proteins are executed to learn about the metabolic pathways of cells. This is strictly physiological. Wondering what term is used to define the study of proteins? Well, it is known as Proteomics. This term is derived from the word Proteome. An entire set of proteins is referred to as a proteome. Mark Wilkins in the year 1994 first titled the term proteome, as a metaphor for the term genome.

It might interest you to learn that the composition and nature of proteins synthesized by a human body vary with time. Sometimes, any one protein can undergo noticeable modifications under conditions of stress. Therefore, describing Proteomics as a complex and challenging subject is not quite incorrect.

Experimenting and studying protein structures is impossible without referring to informative protein databases. These databases are replete with information about protein structures in the form of three-dimensional coordinates, angles, and unit cell dimensions. Other than providing an immensely useful experimental dataset, this information benefit processes like X-Ray Crystallography and structure-based drug design.