Switch from MMTF to BCIF

01/15

Users are strongly encouraged to switch to accessing data files offered in the compressed BinaryCIF (BCIF) format.

As of July 2, 2024, RCSB PDB will no longer serve PDB data in the MMTF compression format. Users are strongly encouraged to switch to accessing the data files offered in the compressed BinaryCIF (BCIF) format.

The MMTF compression format for PDB coordinate data was introduced in 2016 for storing macromolecular 3D coordinate data. Since 2020, the BinaryCIF format has been used by RCSB PDB as the preferred compression data format.

BinaryCIF (BCIF, GitHub) stores text-based CIF files using a more efficient binary encoding. It enables both lossless and lossy compression of the original CIF file.

RCSB PDB support is ready to assist with any issues or questions at info@rcsb.org.

New Features Index

• 05/27 Notice: NGL Viewer Deprecation

• 05/14 Switch from MMTF to BCIF

• 05/09 Announcement: EDMAPS.rcsb.org Shutdown

• 05/01 Register Now for a Webinar on Understanding PDB Validation: Which experimental structures should I rely on?

• 04/30 wwPDB News: Coming soon: Annotation of Protein Modifications in the PDB

• 04/01 Register Now for a Virtual Deep Dive into Computed Structure Model Exploration at RCSB.org

• 03/31 Explore Mechanism and Catalytic Site Annotations

• 03/29 Take the EDMAPS.rcsb.org Survey

• 03/24 Register for the April 1 Mol* Virtual Office Hour

• 03/12 wwPDB News: Paper Published on CryoEM Archiving and Validation Recommendations

• 02/25 Register for the March 28 Office Hour to Ask A Biocurator

• 02/12 Use a Python Package to Access the RCSB PDB Search API

• 01/30 Notice: NGL Viewer Deprecation

• 01/24 Take the CSM User Survey and Win

• 01/18 Undergrads: Spend your summer with RCSB PDB

• 01/15 Switch from MMTF to BCIF

• 01/08 wwPDB News: Resources for Supporting the Extended PDB ID Format (pdb_00001abc)

• 01/07 Applications Open for Director

• 01/03 wwPDB News: Time-stamped Copies of PDB and EMDB Archives