AlphaFold Database welcomes community datasets
Latest AlphaFold Database update adds high-value datasets for microbial and viral proteins, generated by specialist communities
2026
updates-from-data-resources
AlphaFold Database launches custom annotations feature
The AlphaFold Database (AlphaFold DB) has introduced a new functionality that enables users to integrate and visualise custom sequence annotations. These annotations are processed in the browser for the current session only. The new functionality is made possible through the integration of the PDBe…
2025
updates-from-data-resources
EMBL-EBI and Google DeepMind renew partnership and release update to AlphaFold Database
Deeper collaboration between EMBL-EBI and Google DeepMind brings updates to the AlphaFold Database.
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY2025
science-technologytechnology-and-innovation
New AlphaFold Database entry pages
The AlphaFold Protein Structure Database (AFDB) has redesigned its entry pages to make exploring predicted protein structures faster, clearer, and more intuitive. This update delivers a streamlined experience across devices, whether you’re browsing from the lab, your desktop, or on the move.…
2025
updates-from-data-resources
Quality and function at a glance: The role of TED in the AlphaFold Database
The AlphaFold Protein Structure Database (AFDB) now integrates The Encyclopedia of Domains (TED), a resource designed to systematically identify and classify structural domains within AlphaFold-predicted protein structures. TED provides domain boundaries for 365 million domains across more than one…
2025
updates-from-data-resources
Cute molecules and the scientists who adore them: Yehudi Bloch
Yehudi Bloch, ARISE Fellow at EMBL Hamburg, talks about the snow flea antifreeze protein. This is part of a series of stories about EMBL scientists and quirky, charming proteins that make them smile.
PEOPLE & PERSPECTIVES2025
people-perspectives
We are EMBL: Francesco Costa on protein design and the EMBL PhD programme
Francesco talks about his work in protein science, fascination for protein design, and how he's finding the EMBL International PhD programme.
PEOPLE & PERSPECTIVES2025
people-perspectivesperspectives
Cute molecules and the scientists who adore them: Deepti Gupta
Deepti Gupta, Project Manager and Database Curator at EMBL-EBI, talks about her favourite protein PIEZO1. This is part of a series of stories about EMBL scientists and quirky, charming proteins that make them smile.
PEOPLE & PERSPECTIVES2025
people-perspectivesperspectives
Novel analysis of intrinsically disordered proteins
Researchers from Mainz University and EMBL Hamburg have presented a new approach for assessing the form of disordered proteins by using anomalous X-ray scattering method for structural analysis.
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY2025
science-technology
Cute molecules and the scientists who adore them: Sarah Gharbi
Sarah Gharbi, technician at EMBL Grenoble, talks about her favourite protein complex, which looks like a poodle. This is part of a series of stories about EMBL scientists and quirky, charming proteins that make them smile.
PEOPLE & PERSPECTIVES2025
people-perspectives
Cute molecules and the scientists who adore them: Maria Costanzo
Maria Costanzo, former predoc at EMBL Barcelona, talks about YAP, her favourite protein in the shape of a heart. This is part of a series of stories about EMBL scientists and quirky, charming proteins that make them smile.
PEOPLE & PERSPECTIVES2025
people-perspectives
Cute molecules and the scientists who adore them: Veijo Salo
Veijo Salo, postdoc at EMBL Heidelberg, talks about seipin, the cell’s molecular ‘bubble blower’.
PEOPLE & PERSPECTIVES2024
people-perspectives
Cute molecules and the scientists who adore them: Sofia Rucli
Sofia Rucli, postdoc at EMBL Rome, talks about her relationship with the protein OGT, a molecular ‘candy man’ of the cell.
PEOPLE & PERSPECTIVES2024
people-perspectives
Picky proteins: understanding yeast adaptor protein selectivity
Scientists from EMBL Hamburg and CSSB have revealed key insights into the cellular process of clathrin-mediated endocytosis.
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY2024
science-technology
Computational protein design and protein structure prediction win Nobel Prize in Chemistry
Creators of AI system AlphaFold receive 2024 Nobel Prize for Chemistry.
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY2024
sciencescience-technology
AlphaFold database empowers researchers with enhanced structural search via Foldseek integration
Traditional sequence search methods are fast and efficient but rely solely on comparing amino acid sequences. This approach can miss crucial insights because proteins with similar functions can have vastly different sequences. Although their sequences have diverged, these proteins often retain 3D…
2024
updates-from-data-resources
An enzyme with a smart friend
EMBL Grenoble’s Kowalinski Group analysed the structure of an enzyme responsible for modifying tRNA molecules to fine-tune protein production. They discovered that to distinguish almost identical, yet different, tRNA molecules, the enzyme uses help from another enzyme – a type of cooperation…
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY2024
science-technology
‘Invisible’ protein keeps cancer at bay
EMBL Hamburg scientists and collaborators discovered a new molecular mechanism in which an unstructured protein disables one of the main cancer-promoting proteins by gluing them into an elongated stack. Data from human patient samples support the role of this mechanism in prostate cancer…
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY2024
science-technology
The AI revolution hinges on accessible training
Team Leader Sameer Velankar on why accessible training is key for AlphaFold and AI tools more generally.
PEOPLE & PERSPECTIVES2024
people-perspectivesperspectivesscience
RNA to rule them all
The Kosinski Group at EMBL Hamburg collaborated with other groups in Hamburg to reveal critical steps in Lassa virus ribonucleoparticle assembly and recruitment, and the crucial role played by RNA in in the Lassa virus life cycle.
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY2023
sciencescience-technology
The secret of molecular promiscuity
Promiscuity is critical for nourishment. How? This question lies at the focus of research by the Löw Group at EMBL Hamburg. Using structural biology methods, they explore how specialised molecules located in the cell membrane allow cells absorb nutrients from their environment.
EMBLetc2023
We are EMBL: Sihyun Sung on time-resolved structural biology
In this interview, Sihyun Sung, Postdoctoral Fellow at EMBL Hamburg, talks about making molecular movies with time-resolved serial X-ray crystallography, his sources of inspiration, and the value of forging deeper connections with friends and colleagues.
LAB MATTERSPEOPLE & PERSPECTIVES2023
lab-matterspeople-perspectives
A leap in user experience: AlphaFold Database introduces sequence-based search and structure cluster members
In response to user community demands, the AlphaFold Protein Structure database has introduced sequence-based search and cluster members.
2023
updates-from-data-resources
New predictions of genetic variant pathogenicity using AlphaFold protein structures
Ensembl Variant Effect Predictor integrates Google DeepMind’s new AlphaMissense Database for better predictions of genetic variant pathogenicity.
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY2023
science-technologytechnology-and-innovation
Bringing research on disordered proteins to order
A third of all known proteins are either completely or partially unstructured. EMBL scientists contributed to a new set of guidelines – Minimum Information About a Disorder Experiment (MIADE) – that will help researchers share data on unstructured proteins in a more useful way and will enable…
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY2023
sciencescience-technology
Major user experience update in AlphaFold Database
The AlphaFold Database boasts improved user experience, including better search filters and an improved 3D viewer.
2023
updates-from-data-resources
Janet Thornton retires: a pioneer in structural bioinformatics
In recognition of Janet Thornton’s retirement, we look back at some of her biggest accomplishments shaping the field of bioinformatics.
LAB MATTERSPEOPLE & PERSPECTIVES2023
announcementslab-matterspeople-perspectives
MGnify just got bigger – new data, new AI opportunities
EMBL-EBI's metagenomics data resource increases in size and supports groundbreaking AI tools for protein structure prediction.
2023
updates-from-data-resources
AlphaFold applications – a community assessment
Researchers use social media to share findings on how useful AlphaFold predictions are for different applications.
2022
research-highlightsscience
AlphaFold developers and EMBL alumnus among Breakthrough Prize recipients
Cell biologist Anthony Hyman and DeepMind’s Demis Hassabis and John Jumper were announced among 25 Breakthrough Prize recipients
EMBL ANNOUNCEMENTSLAB MATTERS2022
embl-announcementslab-matters
AlphaFold: where will the next AI breakthrough come from?
Ewan Birney, Deputy Director General of EMBL and Director of EMBL-EBI, reveals the key factors that enabled AlphaFold to change the world of biology.
PEOPLE & PERSPECTIVES2022
people-perspectivesperspectivesscience
AlphaFold predicts structure of almost every catalogued protein known to science
AlphaFold database offers a look at 3D protein universe.
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY2022
sciencescience-technologytechnology-and-innovation
Predicted complexes from ModelArchive now on PDBe-KB pages
New dataset of predicted protein complexes accessible through 3D-Beacons Network.
2022
updates-from-data-resources
Learning from Deep Learning: the inspirational story behind AlphaFold
DeepMind visits EMBL Heidelberg to discuss current and future implications of Artificial Intelligence for life science research.
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY2022
sciencescience-technology
Decoding the secrets of snake venom
EMBL Hamburg’s Grzegorz Chojnowski from the Wilmanns Group developed software called findMySequence, which identifies proteins’ amino-acid sequences based on electron cryo-microscopy and X-ray crystallography data. It’s useful for identifying unknown proteins in samples from natural sources.
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY2022
sciencescience-technology
AlphaFold update – neglected tropical diseases
Latest AlphaFold database update adds 27 new organisms and almost 200,000 new protein structure predictions relevant to neglected tropical diseases and antimicrobial resistance
2022
updates-from-data-resources
Artificial intelligence — a scientific game changer in 2021
The systematic application of AI in life sciences as in the AlphaFold algorithm for predicting protein structures has been named '2021 Breakthrough of the Year' by Science magazine.
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY2021
sciencescience-technology
Structure of a promiscuous protein will help scientists design better drugs
Scientists at EMBL Hamburg determined the molecular structure of Peptide Transporters 1 and 2. The findings will enable developing drugs that more efficiently pass from the gut to target tissues.
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY2021
sciencescience-technology
How herpes seizes proteins’ means of production
The Graham and Crump groups at the University of Cambridge and the Svergun Group at EMBL Hamburg have discovered a mechanism by which the herpes simplex virus takes control of the molecular machinery of human cells. Their work reveals how a dedicated viral protein hijacks key host proteins, forcing…
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY2021
sciencescience-technology
From creating new antimicrobials to combating Alzheimer’s disease
Structural biology provides insights into the diverse functions of fibrous protein in humans, amphibians, and bacteria.
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY2021
sciencescience-technology
Proteins, art and seeing the world through a new lens
Hundreds of school children explore the beauty of proteins through art
LAB MATTERS2021
lab-matters
3D-Beacons Network: protein structure data, all in one place
3D-Beacons Network acts as a one-stop shop for protein structures by combining and standardising data from several providers.
CONNECTIONS2021
connectionsscience
Cryo-Electron Microscopy Service Platform supports research on protein transport
Giulia Zanetti from the Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology (ISMB) in London explains how the collaboration with the Cryo-Electron Microscopy Service Platform enabled her group to reveal the structure of protein transport complexes.
LAB MATTERSSCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY2021
lab-mattersscience-technology
DeepMind and EMBL release the most complete database of predicted 3D structures of human proteins
Partners use AlphaFold, the AI system recognised last year as a solution to the protein structure prediction problem, to release more than 350,000 protein structure predictions including the entire human proteome to the scientific community.
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY2021
sciencescience-technology
Accessible 3D protein models to accelerate scientific discovery
DeepMind and EMBL-EBI to make millions of protein structure predictions freely available to the scientific community.
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY2021
sciencescience-technology
Great expectations – the potential impacts of AlphaFold DB
A discussion of the applications that AlphaFold DB may enable and the possible impact of the resource on science and society.
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY2021
sciencescience-technology
Reshaping the cell membrane with molecular pegs
Researchers at EMBL Hamburg reveal how peg-like proteins clasp and reshape the cell membrane
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY2021
sciencescience-technology
Variations on a spike
What does coronavirus’s spike protein look like in 3D? EMBL scientists and colleagues used cryo-electron tomography and molecular dynamics simulations to find out.
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY2021
picture-of-the-weekscience-technology
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