Quality assessment of protein NMR structures

Biomolecular NMR structures are now routinely used in biology, chemistry, and bioinformatics. Methods and metrics for assessing the accuracy and precision of protein NMR structures are beginning to be standardized across the biological NMR community. These include both knowledge-based assessment metrics, parameterized from the database of protein structures, and model versus data assessment metrics. On line servers are available that provide comprehensive protein structure quality assessment reports, and efforts are in progress by the world-wide Protein Data Bank (wwPDB) to develop a biomolecular NMR structure quality assessment pipeline as part of the structure deposition process. These quality assessment metrics and standards will aid NMR spectroscopists in determining more accurate structures, and increase the value and utility of these structures for the broad scientific community.