January 15, 2007 (Vol. 27, No. 2)
URL:
http://rebase.neb.com/rebase/rebase.html
Rating:
Strong Points: Comprehensive coverage
Weak Points: None
Summary:
It’s time, once again, to catch up on some sites that have been out there forever but have managed one-way or another, to escape coverage. REBASE is the most prominent one this month. A shortening of Restriction Enzyme Database, REBASE is hosted by New England Biolabs, one of the major suppliers of said enzymes. Visitors to the site will discover a simple interface consisting of a search engine on the opening page that you can use either for an enzyme to quickly locate its cutting site or select from a drop-down menu of enzyme-related categories, including author name, recognition sequence, PubMed number, organism name, and more. Other options include perusing sequenced genomes of REBASE organisms, a list of commercial suppliers of restriction enzymes, and even file downloads. REBASE is an amazingly open and generous offering for a company site and should be bookmarked by every molecular biologist.
