New NIH resources: MICAD and DAVID

The National Institutes of Health have come out with a couple of new freely available online resources that may be of interest to biochemists and molecular biologists.

MICAD (Molecular Imaging and Contrast Agent Database)

The Molecular Imaging and Contrast Agent Database (MICAD) is an online source of information on in vivo molecular imaging agents based on recommendations from the extramural community. The database includes but is not limited to agents developed for positron emission tomography (PET), single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), ultrasound (US), computed tomography (CT), optical imaging, planar radiogragphy, and planar gamma imaging. It contains textual information, references, numerous links to MEDLINE, and additional related resources at the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) and elsewhere.

DAVID (Database for Annotation, Visualization and Integrated Discovery)

DAVID is a web-based, client/server application that allows users to access a relational database of functional annotation. Functional annotations are derived primarily from LocusLink at the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI). DAVID uses LocusLink accession numbers to link gene accessioning systems like Genbank, Unigene, and Affymetrix identifiers to biological annotations including gene names and aliases, functional summaries, Gene Ontologies, protein domains, and biochemical and signal transduction pathways. Annotation pedigrees are provided via direct links to the primary sources of annotation, which also provide additional gene specific information. In addition, DAVID provides numerous links to useful resources for genomics and bioinformatics.

RNA in the news

Today's New York Times Science section features an article on the increasing attention being paid to forms of RNA in molecular research....

The central dogma of biology has been that DNA makes messenger RNA, messenger RNA makes proteins, and proteins do everything else that needs to be done in a living cell. Though still unchallenged, that dogma has begun to seem less comprehensive, after an explosion of findings about regulatory RNA, a different sort of RNA that is produced by animal and plant cells and by viruses.

Regulatory RNA is turning out to be a major player in some of a cell's most vital activities. It guards the integrity of the DNA in the egg and sperm cells that pass hereditary information to the next generation. It may help determine what genes are accessible to each type of cell, a crucial choice for multicellular animals that require a liver cell to read off one set of genes and a brain cell to be governed by a different set. And it coordinates suites of genes that may be under different control systems but need to act together in response to sudden stresses.

Much more information on regulatory RNA is available through NCBI's Entrez search engine, which searches dozens of valuable, freely accessible life sciences databases. Click here to check it out--see links to book chapters, articles, and gene/sequence information.

New edition of CRC Handbook of Chemistry & Physics available online!

Did you know that you can access the CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics online through the UMass Amherst libraries?

Our online subscription has just been updated to the most recent (86th) edition of the handbook. Changes include:

- Includes seven important new tables and extensive updates and expansion of 20 others

- Incorporates substantial revisions to the Bond Dissociation Energy and Standard Transformed Gibbs Energy of Formation for Important Biochemical Species tables

- Updates the valuable Sources of Physical and Chemical Data appendix

New tables!

1. Vapor Pressure of the Metallic Elements
2. Electrical Conductivity of Aqueous Solutions
3. Proton Affinities
4. Electron Inelastic Mean Free Paths
5. Selected Properties of Semiconductor Solid Solutions
6. Vapor Pressures (Solvent Activities) for Binary Polymer Solutions
7. Density of Sulfuric Acid

To access the online version of the CRC Handbook, just visit the UMass Libraries homepage, click Databases, and navigate to C for CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics.

Enjoy!

Yet more new e-journals....

Access to the following online journals has just been added by the UMass Libraries....enjoy!

Journal of Bioscience and Bioengineering: 1998-
Journal of Cell Biology: 1955-
Process Biochemistry: 1998-

FEBS Journal, now online back to 1967

The UMass Libraries have just added online access to FEBS Journal dating all the way back to its inception in 1967. Enjoy!

New open-access journal in molecular biology

Algorithms for Molecular Biology is a new, independent open-access journal hosted at BioMed Central. From the inaugural issue:

By launching the first open access journal on algorithmic bioinformatics, we provide a forum for fast publication of high-quality research articles in this rapidly evolving field. Our journal will publish thoroughly peer-reviewed papers without length limitations covering all aspects of algorithmic data analysis in computational biology. Publications in Algorithms for Molecular Biology are easy to find, highly visible and tracked by organisations such as PubMed. An established online submission system makes a fast reviewing procedure possible and enables us to publish accepted papers without delay. All articles published in our journal are permanently archived by PubMed Central and other scientific archives. We are looking forward to receiving your contributions.

There are now eighty-five independent open-access titles hosted at BioMed Central.

100 Years of Biochemistry Journal

The Biochemical Society has celebrated the 100th anniversary of Biochemistry Journal by making the journal's backfile freely accessible. From the announcement:

The archive represents the entire back archive of the journal of the Biochemical Society which celebrates its centenary this year. Speaking at the event, Sir Philip thanked JISC and the Wellcome Trust for their funding which has not only paid for digitisation of the journal but will also ensure that the archive, hosted by PubMedCentral, will be openly available to all in perpetuity.

Digitisation of the journal is part of a major collaborative programme of digitisation called the ‘Medical journals backfiles digitisation project’, a partnership between JISC, the Wellcome Trust and the US National Library of Medicine which will see the digitisation of nearly 1.7 million pages of complete backfiles from important and historically significant British and American medical journals.

(via KnowledgeSpeak Newsletter)