RCSB PDB
RCSB PDB is a structural biology website for searching, visualizing, downloading, and learning from Protein Data Bank 3D macromolecular structure data.
What RCSB PDB is
RCSB PDB is a structural biology website at rcsb.org and the U.S. data center for the global Protein Data Bank archive. The site helps users search, visualize, analyze, download, and learn from 3D structure data for proteins, DNA, RNA, complexes, and related molecules.
Protein Data Bank archive
The Protein Data Bank archive stores three-dimensional structural data for biological macromolecules. RCSB PDB presents this archive through searchable records, structure pages, molecular viewers, annotations, educational materials, and links to related biological and chemical resources.
Entries and PDB IDs
Each PDB entry is identified by a PDB ID and contains structured information about a deposited structure. Records can include molecular components, experimental method, authorship, citations, coordinates, ligands, assemblies, validation information, sequence mappings, and links to external databases.
3D visualization
RCSB.org lets users explore structures visually in the browser. Visualization matters because biological function often depends on shape, binding pockets, interfaces, conformations, and spatial relationships that are hard to understand from sequence or text alone.
Experimental and computed models
The website connects experimental PDB structures with computed structure models and external annotations. This can help researchers compare known structures with predictions, but it also requires care: computed models and experimental structures have different evidence, uncertainty, and validation contexts.
APIs and downloads
RCSB PDB provides programmatic access through data and search APIs. Developers and researchers can use these services to retrieve entry metadata, run structure searches, build teaching tools, connect molecular data to local workflows, or support reproducible structural bioinformatics projects.
Research and education
The site is used by structural biologists, biochemists, computational biologists, drug discovery teams, educators, students, illustrators, software developers, and science communicators. Its PDB-101 materials also help non-specialists connect molecular structure with biology, medicine, and everyday life.
Strengths and limits
RCSB PDB is powerful, but structure records require interpretation. Resolution, sample conditions, biological assembly choices, missing residues, ligands, experimental method, validation metrics, model confidence, and external annotations all affect what a structure can support scientifically.
Why it matters
RCSB PDB matters because 3D molecular structures connect genes, proteins, chemistry, disease, evolution, and biotechnology. Open access to biostructure data lets researchers test ideas, design experiments, teach molecular biology, and build tools that reuse the same public archive.
WHOIS domain data
Data pulled: June 1, 2026View current WHOIS record
- Domain
- rcsb.org
- IP address
- 132.249.213.18
- Registrar
- Network Solutions, LLC
- WHOIS server
- whois.networksolutions.com
- Referral URL
- http://www.networksolutions.com
- Created
- February 27, 1998
- Updated
- December 29, 2023
- Expires
- February 26, 2027
- Nameservers
- dns1.p03.nsone.net (198.51.44.3); dns2.p03.nsone.net (198.51.45.3); dns3.p03.nsone.net (198.51.44.67); dns4.p03.nsone.net (198.51.45.67)
- Domain status
- clientTransferProhibited
- Registrant contact location
- Piscataway, NJ, US
- Registrant contact phone
- +1.8484450103
- Registrant contact email
- registration [at] rcsb [dot] org
- Technical contact phone
- +1.8484450103
- Technical contact email
- registration [at] rcsb [dot] org