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To search for a pdb code, type it into the search box on the left. After you reached the corresponding wiki page of the entry, choose the "Data history" tab on the top of the page.
Overview
The fast growing Protein Data Bank (PDB) contains a vast amount of 3-dimensional experimental information on protein- and nucleic-acid structures. In 1971 - when Meyer and Hamilton founded PDB - the primary objective was to provide a depository of structures for scientists investigating a small number of proteins at a time. Today the Protein Data Bank contains 50,000 entries, and it is a rich repository of the structural biological information.
Every scientist working with PDB found lots of inconsistencies in the data. The inconsistencies have various sources, from simple human errors, oversight, misinterpretation of PDB file format, to deliberately erroneous syntax to overcome certain limitations of the PDB depositing rules.
As a large number of these errors are easy to detect even with simple Perl scripts, there has been a number of attempts to correct these errors with computers. Unfortunately every such approach has its shortcomings, and usually ends up in converting syntax errors into hard to detect semantic errors.
WikiPDB is taking a different approach: we provide a Wikipedia like interface (an extension of the Mediawiki software) for modification of the data bank files, and discussion between scientists doing research on the same structures. Our system detects syntax errors, provides an API for semantic error checking plug-ins, and keeps track of different versions. For information on further development please check our Planed Features page!
