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RCSB PDB

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Verified working Jul 31, 2026

Search, visualize, and download biomolecular 3D structure data.

RCSB PDB is a U.S. portal for the Protein Data Bank, giving researchers and learners access to curated 3D structures of proteins, nucleic acids, complexes, ligands, and related computed models. The site combines deposition support, advanced search, structure viewers, quality indicators, downloads, APIs, and educational material for working with structural biology data.

Why it stands out

  • Part of the wwPDB ecosystem, with curation and annotation aligned to international PDB standards.
  • Covers both experimentally determined PDB archive structures and computed structure models from AlphaFold DB and ModelArchive.
  • Search goes beyond keywords, including sequence similarity, global 3D similarity, chemical similarity, ontology browsing, and unreleased-entry status.
  • Links discovery, visualization, analysis, download, deposition, and learning resources in one structural biology portal.

Good to know

  • The site is built for structural biology data, so many tools and formats assume familiarity with PDB IDs, macromolecular structure concepts, and PDBx/mmCIF.
  • PDB workflows are changing: wwPDB plans a full transition to extended 12-character PDB IDs, PDBx/mmCIF, and a reorganized archive in 2027.
  • Computed Structure Models are included alongside archive structures, but they are not the same as experimentally determined PDB entries and should be interpreted accordingly.

Under the radar: If you maintain scripts or teaching material that use four-character PDB IDs or legacy PDB files, test them against the PDB Beta Archive before the 2027 transition to catch format and identifier issues early.

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