Open GB File
The GB file extension is specifically used for two applications, namely:
GenBank
In this case, the GB extension file is a sequence file format used to store DNA and protein sequences.
But what is GenBank?
GenBank is an open access sequence database or annotated collection of all publicly available nucleotide sequences and also contains their respective protein translations.
It is produced and maintained by the National Center for Biotechnology Information with International Nucleotide Sequence Database Collaboration.
The GB file serves as the data store for one or more sequences, and also contains metadata such as annotations, comments, and references.
The GB format is widely used by public databases and is considered by many to be the standard format for DNA and protein sequence files.
The GBK format is also used by DNA Sequence Databases, along with the GB format.
GameBoy
In this second case, the GB file is used as a read-only memory (ROM) file that contains the data of the Game Boy games, hence its acronym GB.
More about Game Boy
Game Boy is an 8-bit handheld video game console developed and manufactured by Nintendo.
It was established as the first handheld computer in the Game Boy family, released in 1989.
The console was released in North America that same year, and then in Europe in late 1990.
In this section, the GB file contains an exact copy of the data of a Nintendo Game Boy cartridge, and can be played on a Mac or PC using Game Boy emulation software.