






                                    GENE-SERVER


            _A_d_d_r_e_s_s:
            Dr. Dan Davison
            BCHS-5500
            Dept. of Biochemical and Biophysical Sciences
            University of Houston
            4800 Calhoun, Houston, Tx, 77204-5500

            _E_m_a_i_l: davison@uh.edu (Internet), DAVISON@UHOU (Bitnet)

            _P_h_o_n_e: (713) 749-2801 (Dr. Davison)


            _D_e_s_c_r_i_p_t_i_o_n

            The Gene-Server is a mail response facility that will return
            a specific GenBank (tm) entry requested via e-mail.

            Other Services:

            The server  now  distributes  Protein  Information  Resource
            (PIR, also known as NBRF) protein sequence database entries.

            Molecular biology software for Apple  Macintosh,  DOS,  Unix
            and VAX-VMS computers is also available from the server.

            A number of information files (the  R.  Roberts  Restriction
            Enzyme  database; sequence analysis reference, and such) are
            distributed.

            The Matrix of Biological Knowledge Archive-Server files  are
            now available only from this address.

            Electronic mail searching of the protein  sequence  database
            is  available;  you simply send a properly formatted protein
            "query" sequence to a specific address on the server and the
            search  will  be  performed  automatically  and  the results
            returned via electronic mail.


            _________________________
            The information in this section is provided  in  accor-
            dance  with the copyright notice appearing at the front
            of this guide.




            September 10, 1990          NNSC        Section 3.1,  Page 1








            _N_e_t_w_o_r_k _A_c_c_e_s_s

            The server can be accessed via e-mail on the Internet,  BIT-
            NET, and UUCP networks.  The addresses to use are:

                 gene-server@bchs.uh.edu (Internet)
                 bchs.uh.edu!genbank-server (Usenet)
                 gene-server%bchs.uh.edu@CUNYVM (BITNET)

            Please be aware that a mail response program is not  "smart"
            and  can only respond to a limited set of commands.  GenBank
            entries are available by name and accession number only.

            Your request can consist of one of the following:

                 HELP
                 SEND HELP
                 SEND LOCUS genbank_locus_name
                 SEND INDEX index_name
                 SEND ACCESSION accession_number

            "HELP" will result in a small help  file  being  sent  back;
            everyone  should  request  the  help message.  The file will
            contain up-to-date information  about  the  server,  access,
            release  numbers,  and  policies.   The  help  message  also
            includes all index names, so "SEND INDEX" no  longer  works.
            "SEND  INDEX  index_name"  (where "index_name" is one of the
            index files listed in the HELP message)  will  work.   "SEND
            LOCUS   genbank_locus_name"   will  return  via  e-mail  the
            requested locus if it exists, and an  error  message  if  it
            does  not.   Use  the index file in the HELP message to find
            the name of the entry, or use the accession number.

            The server runs every half hour and  will  handle  only  one
            request  at  a  time.  If you want more than one entry, send
            separate requests.

            Note that large GenBank entries (Lambda,  EBV,  tobacco  and
            liverwort  chloroplasts)  may not make it through the thread
            of mailers.  UUCP mailers, in particular, silently enforce a
            limit  of  64,000 characters in a single mail message.  Note
            also that Usenet mail is very unreliable;  you  should  con-
            sult  the "pathalias" database to construct a mail path from
            your machine to bchs.uh.edu.  A local Unix mail  wizard  may
            be able to help.

            IMPORTANT NOTE: "gene-server@bchs.uh.edu" is an  MX  record.
            If  you  have problems reaching that address, ask your local



            September 10, 1990          NNSC        Section 3.1,  Page 2








            system mail expert how to  handle  addresses  that  are  "MX
            records."   As  a _v_e_r_y last resort, send email to one of the
            addresses given above.

            _W_h_o _C_a_n _U_s_e _t_h_e _C_a_t_a_l_o_g

            Anyone can use the catalog.

            _M_i_s_c_e_l_l_a_n_e_o_u_s

            The current version of GenBank on the server is Release  64.
            The  server  is  updated  as often as possible given funding
            (none) and  disk  space  constraints.   The  server  may  be
            updated daily in the future.

            Information and software is  exchanged  regularly  with  the
            European  Molecular  Biology  Laboratory (EMBL) File Server,
            but the specific files, syntax, and information vary between
            the two servers.

            The server contains a simple response to someone asking  for
            too  many  loci  or  otherwise abusing the service: it stops
            working for them.

            Questions  can  be  sent  to  davison@uh.edu  (Internet)  or
            DAVISON@UHOU(BITNET).   Requests  to  talk to a human rather
            than a mail response program  should  be  sent  to  archive-
            management@bchs.uh.edu.    By   popular   demand,   archive-
            managment@bchs.uh.edu also works.

            This service is provided  by  the  Institute  for  Molecular
            Biology,  the Department of Biochemical and Biophysical Sci-
            ences, the University of  Houston  Academic  Computing  Ser-
            vices,  and the Office of the Vice President for Information
            Technologies.

            The server is not funded or related in any  with  the  DHHS,
            PHS,  National  Institutes  of Health, or its contractors or
            subcontractors on the GenBank contract.  GenBank is a trade-
            mark  of  the US Department of Health and Human Services, US
            Public Health Service.










            September 10, 1990          NNSC        Section 3.1,  Page 3


