Education Corner

The Cambridge Structural Database

The beginnings of the Cambridge Structural Database (CSD) go back to 1965, when J.D. Bernal and Olga Kennard had a vision that the collective use of data would lead to the discovery of new knowledge. Sixty years later, the CSD is the world’s largest database of experimentally observed small molecule crystal structures.

Today, the CSD contains more than 1.3 million organic and metal–organic experimental crystal structures, contributed by over half a million authors from more than 110 countries. Data is shared via scientific articles, patents, theses, institutional repositories, and directly through CSD Communications. Each entry is curated and enriched by editors at the Cambridge Crystallographic Data Centre (CCDC), the non-profit organization that curates the CSD.

The CCDC’s vision is to be a catalyst for solving real-world challenges by connecting structural chemistry data, people, and scientific tools. This is reflected in the global impact of the CSD, which is used in more than 1,400 universities and by many of the world’s leading pharmaceutical companies. Major advances in technology, computing, methods and chemistry have profoundly shaped the CSD's evolution. The growing size, complexity and diversity of the database, coupled with the development of new ways to search and analyse the CSD, have resulted in the data being used in ways that would once have been unimaginable.

In 2024, CSD/CCDC reference articles were cited over 2,700 times. Throughout six decades, the CCDC has published more than 800 articles, often in collaboration with researchers worldwide.

Collaboration and Impact

Collaboration is central to the CCDC’s mission. Over the past four decades, the centre has supported around 100 PhD students, many of whom went on to become CCDC staff, trustees, or active users of the CSD.

Training, accessibility, and nurturing the next generation of scientists remain priorities. Since 2020, over 3,500 participants have joined CCDC’s live online training courses. The CSD Champion network, now 33 members, has also helped to extend training worldwide, delivering more than 35 local events tailored to regional needs.

Registrations are open for the next free training series, which starts in October and covers topics ranging from Protein ligand docking to porous materials.

Supporting the Structural Science Community

The Frank Allen International Research and Education (FAIRE) Programme supports access to the CSD in more than 80 countries. In 2024 alone, over 60 institutions benefitted, and FAIRE-supported research has already led to more than 140 peer-reviewed publications. To inspire the next generation, the CCDC also funds Engagement Grants, supporting creative outreach projects ranging from comic books and games to science-based fun with Lego. You can access all the resources or apply for a grant yourself on the CCDC website.

The CCDC also has a long history of collaboration with the PDB and related resources. In fact, Olga Kennard helped to establish the Protein Data Bank (PDB) and played a guiding role in the creation of the Nucleic Acid Sequence Database. More recently, we have worked on a range of initiatives from fun outreach activities such as the Bound Card Game through to steps to unifying structural and bioactivity data to accelerate drug discovery in the BioChemGraph project (https://www.ebi.ac.uk/about/news/updates-from-data-resources/biochemgraph-data/ )

Looking forward

Recognising the importance of supporting and nurturing the next generation of scientists brings us to what the future may hold for structural science. As the CSD enters its seventh decade, the CCDC remains committed to its charitable mission and renewed vision. To explore what the next 60 years might bring, in 2025, we have been hosting a series of panel webinars spanning data, education, and drug discovery. You can register or watch the recordings here.

Discover more about the CSD, upcoming workshops, and ways to get involved at http://www.ccdc.cam.ac.uk