Polbase: a repository of biochemical, genetic and structural information about DNA polymerases

Polbase (http://polbase.neb.com) is a freely accessible database of DNA polymerases and related references. It has been developed in a collaborative model with experts whose contributions reflect their varied backgrounds in genetics, structural biology and biochemistry. Polbase is designed to compile detailed results of polymerase experimentation, presenting them in a dynamic view to inform further research. After validation, results from references are displayed in context with relevant experimental details and are always traceable to their source publication. Polbase is connected to other resources, including PubMed, UniProt and the RCSB Protein Data Bank, to provide multi-faceted views of polymerase knowledge. In addition to a simple web interface, Polbase data is exposed for custom analysis by external software. With the contributions of many polymerase investigators, Polbase has become a powerful research tool covering most important aspects of polymerases, from sequence and structure to biochemistry.