NCBI ELECTRONIC MAIL SERVERS AND NETWORK DATABASE ACCESS



ELECTRONIC MAIL SERVERS


NCBI provides access to GenBank through two e-mail servers:

   RETRIEVE (for record retrieval from GenBank and other databases)
   BLAST (for sequence similarity searching)  

These services are free of charge. All that is required is the ability to
send and receive Internet electronic mail.

To use either server, first send a message with HELP as the only word 
in the body of the message.  You will receive instructions for formatting 
a query in the return message.

The RETRIEVE server allows you to obtain sequences by accession 
number, locus, author, keyword, etc.  Searches are processed within a
few seconds, and a response should appear with the next posting of
messages by your local e-mail system.  

The BLAST server allows you to send a DNA or protein sequence in a mail
message, and use our BLAST sequence similarity search software to compare
your sequence against the entire database. Your results will automatically be
returned to your e-mail address. The number of searches in the blast
queue and the complexity of your search will determine how quickly your
results are returned. We request that you do not re-submit any search within
any 24 hour period. 

The server addresses are:

   retrieve@ncbi.nlm.nih.gov  (Retrieve server)
   blast@ncbi.nlm.nih.gov     (BLAST server)
         
Questions or comments about the servers can be sent to:

   retrieve-help@ ncbi.nlm.nih.gov  (RETRIEVE help)
   blast-help@ncbi.nlm.nih.gov      (BLAST help)
         


NETWORK DATABASE ACCESS


NCBI also has direct network access to GenBank and other databases, through
Network Entrez and Network Blast.

Network Entrez provides the same software retrieval system as our
Entrez CD-ROM product. Network BLAST provides direct access for sequence 
searching using the BLAST algorithm.

Both programs require direct TCP/IP access to the Internet and a local
systems administrator to install the software and provide end-user support.
This designated administrator should contact NCBI for further information and
site registration:

	net-info@ncbi.nlm.nih.gov    (Network Entrez)
	blast-help@ncbi.nlm.nih.gov  (Network BLAST)


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