GPMDB was originally constructed to serve as a reference work for all publicly available proteomics generated using tandem mass spectrometry. Public data is downloaded and reanalyzed using the current version of X! Tandem. The result files generated by the reanalysis and the relevant metadata are imported into the database and made available through the associated web site, ftp site and REST interfaces.
The following public data repositories are checked daily for new suitable raw data for reanalysis:
Data made available from specific large projects, such as CPTAC or the Human Proteome Atlas, are also included when they are made available. Every effort is made so that reanalyzed results from all data sources are made available within 48 hours of their being released. In addition, data from lab web sites, ftp sites and direct contributions through the GPM sites made available to researchers are imported into GPMDB as part of a daily incremental update process.
GPMDB has been in operation since Jan. 1, 2004. Several large data source repositories have come into existence and ceased activity in the period since that time. All of the data from those repositories (e.g., TRANCHE, Peptidome) were reanalyzed and stored in GPMDB and they are still available even though the source repository sites are no longer active.