The RCSB PDB is an information portal for researchers
and students interested in structural biology. At its
center is the PDB archive – the sole international
repository for 3-dimensional structure data of biological
macromolecules. The RCSB PDB integrates a variety of
production-level data and software resources, and shares
research results and software. The RCSB PDB is dedicated
to fostering new scientific advances by providing accurate,
consistent, and well-annotated 3-D structure data that is
delivered in a timely and efficient way to a wide audience.
The contents of the PDB archive contain the structural
coordinates and related information about proteins, nucleic
acids, and protein-nucleic acid complexes. These structures
hold significant promise for the pharmaceutical and
biotechnology industries in the search for new drugs, and
in researcher's efforts to understand the mystery of human
disease. The understanding of what a structure looks
like aids in understanding how it functions.