Expressed Sequence Tags (ESTs) are partial nucleotide sequences derived from clones that are randomly-selected from cDNA libraries. As the number of EST projects grows and the rate of sequence acquisition accelerates, information management is a challenging problem, particularly in providing laboratory researchers with value-added annotation and timely access to new data and analyses. To address this problem, we have created a database of expressed sequence tags (dbEST), starting with voluntary submissions of human, nematode and protist ESTs from several laboratories; we expect to be receiving plant data soon. The intention is to include ESTs from all publicly-available collections and other laboratories are encouraged to contribute their data. dbEST is available for homology searching through the BLAST Network Service (info@ncbi.nlm.nih.gov) and via email requests (blast@ncbi.nlm.nih.gov). Full reports on interesting matches can be obtained by sending the sequence accession number to est- report@ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. The full report contains information on how to order the physical DNA clones from the American Type Culture Collection (if available). A new concept in automated analysis and information distribution is under also development and will permit rapid and targeted dissemination of important new findings to the scientific community. Investigators will register their interests with NCBI by submitting a list of sequences (for homology searches) or MEDLINE unique identifiers (for literature searches) and then receive, by electronic mail, automatic reports of any new sequences or articles that are related to those in their interest group. This service relies on periodic, incremental searching of database updates, using the BLAST family of programs on the sequence databases, or novel """"""""neighboring"""""""" software developed by John Wilbur to organize knowledge in the MEDLINE database.
