The majority of biological databases today are broad, but shallow, covering large amounts of material but in a relatively cursory way. These are essential resources as scientists use molecular biological techniques to develop a catalog of the molecules founds in living cell. Now, it is time to move beyond simply cataloguing the molecules of a cell toward the time for understanding the dynamic interactions between molecules within a cell. This level of understanding requires a different kind of database, one that links together sequence, genetics, structure and function to create a deeper resource. The existing Protein Kinase Resource (PKR, http://pkr.sdsc.edu) will be extended to create a resource from which both novices and experts can learn about protein kinases, an important family of enzymes that play roles in processes as diverse as human disease and crop production. From a technical standpoint, the resource will integrate data from a variety of existing resources in ways not previously achieved. The integration at UCSD provides a location for developing detailed and well defined application program interfaces (APIs) that will allow these resources to interoperate. It will deliver both content and technological advances in the field of biological databases. All data, software and specifications will be publicly available. Beyond students involved in the research, workshops will provide instruction in community annotation of kinases using the PKR and ways to adapt the database for other uses. Modules of the database and APIs will enable the utilization of this work by other groups interested in other enzyme families.
