Published quarterly by the Research Collaboratory for Structural Bioinformatics Protein Data Bank

Message from RCSB PDB


Since 2000, the RCSB PDB Molecule of the Month series has introduced millions of visitors to the shape and function of the 3D structures archived in the Protein Data Bank.

Created and illustrated by David S. Goodsell (RCSB PDB-Rutgers and The Scripps Research Institute), this feature tells stories about molecular structure and function, their diverse roles within living cells, and the growing connections between biology and nanotechnology. The growth and popularity of the column led to the development of the PDB-101 educational websiteMolecule of the Month content has inspired readers around the world, and is a regular read for students and researchers alike.  Columns are so compelling that they have been accessed nearly a million times in 2019.  

To celebrate this milestone anniversary, Goodsell’s column for January 2020 offers a personal meditation on the growing revolution in structural biology that provides these amazing glimpses into biology. 

The celebration continues all year long−the 2020 calendar highlights the top-accessed articles year after year, culminating in the highest-ranked articles Hemoglobin and Catalase

Readers can also subscribe to a new electronic newsletter that will send alerts when new features are available.

Snapshot: January 1, 2020
159,140 Released atomic coordinate entries
Molecule Type
147,498 Proteins, peptides, and viruses
3,438 Nucleic acids
8,174 Protein/nucleic acid complexes
30 Other
Experimental Technique
141,654 X-ray
12,850 NMR
4,178 Electron Microscopy
153 Hybrid
305 Other
Related Experimental Data Files
129,252 Structure factors
10,125 NMR restraints
3,877 Chemical shifts
3,876 3DEM map files