The Protein Information Resource, or PIR, is an online, publicly available resource that contains databases of protein sequences and computer programs that support the study of proteins, their functions, evolutionary histories, and interactions with other biomolecules in living organisms. A non-profit research institution called the National Biomedical Research Foundation, or NBRF, established the PIR in 1984. Since proteins were first sequenced in the late 1950s, scientists have used protein sequence data to understand biological functions, interactions, and pathways. Protein sequences contribute to many kinds of research, including genomics, proteomics, and systems biology. From 1984 to 2004, the PIR housed one of the first, free online protein sequence databases and computer programs that allowed searching and comparison of those sequences. During that twenty-year period, scientists could use the PIR to identify an unknown protein and determine its evolutionary history and function, including its role in embryological development.