EBI PDBe MCP Server for VS Code CopilotGive VS Code Copilot instant access to 16 tools to Get Assemblies, Get Binding Sites, Get Cofactors, and more
GDPR Free for SubscribersGitHub Copilot in VS Code is the most widely adopted AI coding assistant, embedded directly into the world's most popular code editor. With MCP support in Agent mode, Copilot can access external data and APIs to generate context-aware code grounded in real-time information.
Ask AI about this MCP Server for VS Code Copilot
The EBI PDBe MCP Server for VS Code Copilot is a standout in the The Unthinkable category — giving your AI agent 16 tools to work with, ready to go from day one.
Vinkius delivers Streamable HTTP and SSE to any MCP client
Gemini{
"mcpServers": {
"ebi-pdbe": {
"url": "https://edge.vinkius.com/[YOUR_TOKEN_HERE]/mcp"
}
}
}Vinkius Desktop App
The modern way to manage MCP Servers — no config files, no terminal commands. Install EBI PDBe and 4,000+ MCP Servers from a single visual interface.
* Every MCP server runs on Vinkius-managed infrastructure inside AWS - a purpose-built runtime with per-request V8 isolates, Ed25519 signed audit chains, and sub-40ms cold starts optimized for native MCP execution. See our infrastructure
About EBI PDBe MCP Server
Connect to the PDBe (Protein Data Bank in Europe) API and access the world's most comprehensive repository of experimentally determined 3D macromolecular structures.
GitHub Copilot Agent mode brings EBI PDBe data directly into your VS Code workflow. With a project-scoped config, the entire team shares access to 16 tools. Copilot queries live data, generates typed code, and writes tests from actual API responses, all without leaving the editor.
What you can do
- Structure Summaries — Get titles, authors, deposition dates, resolution, and experimental methods for any PDB entry
- Molecular Entities — Retrieve protein chains, nucleic acids, ligands, their sequences, source organisms, and gene names
- Binding Sites & Ligands — Access ligand binding pocket residues, small molecule ligands with formulas and weights
- Quality Assessment — Check resolution, R-factors, and overall quality scores for structure reliability
- UniProt Mappings — Map between UniProt sequence positions and PDB residue numbers
- Biological Assemblies — Understand quaternary structure — monomer, dimer, tetramer, or higher-order complexes
- Structure Search — Full-text Solr search across 200+ PDB metadata fields
- Publications — Find primary citations, PubMed IDs, and related structural studies
The EBI PDBe MCP Server exposes 16 tools through the Vinkius. Connect it to VS Code Copilot in under two minutes — credentials fully managed, no infrastructure to provision, no vendor lock-in. Your configuration, your data, your control.
All 16 EBI PDBe tools available for VS Code Copilot
When VS Code Copilot connects to EBI PDBe through Vinkius, your AI agent gets direct access to every tool listed below — spanning pdb, protein-structure, 3d-structures, and more. Every call runs in a secure, isolated environment with full audit visibility. Beyond a simple connection, you get real-time monitoring of agent activity, enterprise governance, and optimized token usage.
Get assemblies on EBI PDBe
Returns assembly IDs, composition (which entities and how many copies), preferred assembly flag, and form description. Critical for understanding whether a protein functions as a monomer, dimer, tetramer, or higher-order complex. Get biological assembly information (quaternary structure)
Get binding sites on EBI PDBe
Critical for drug discovery, molecular docking, and understanding protein-ligand interactions. Get ligand binding site residues and interactions
Get cofactors on EBI PDBe
Cofactors like heme, NAD+, FAD, and metal ions are essential for enzyme catalysis and protein function. Get cofactor and prosthetic group annotations
Get experiment on EBI PDBe
Get experimental method details for a structure
Get ligand monomers on EBI PDBe
Returns chemical component IDs, names, molecular formulas, molecular weights, and their chain/residue positions. Essential for drug discovery and understanding protein-small molecule interactions. Get small molecule ligands bound in the structure
Get modified residues on EBI PDBe
Shows the parent compound ID and modification name. Get non-standard amino acids and nucleotides
Get molecules on EBI PDBe
Returns entity IDs, molecule types, names, chain assignments, sequence lengths, molecular weights, source organisms, and gene names. Get molecular entities (chains, polymers) in a structure
Get mutated residues on EBI PDBe
Shows the original residue, mutated residue, chain, and position. Essential for understanding how the crystallized construct differs from the native protein. Get engineered mutations vs. wild-type sequence
Get publications on EBI PDBe
Useful for finding the primary citation and methodology papers for a structure. Get associated journal publications and PubMed IDs
Get quality scores on EBI PDBe
The first thing a structural biologist checks when evaluating a structure for reliability. Get global quality metrics for a structure
Get related entries on EBI PDBe
Useful for discovering alternative conformations, mutants, or complexes of the same protein that have been structurally characterized. Get related PDB entries citing the same publications
Get residue listing on EBI PDBe
Shows residue names, numbers (both PDB and author numbering), organized by entity and chain. Returns a sample of the first 20 residues per chain for efficiency. Get full residue-level inventory per chain
Get secondary structure on EBI PDBe
Shows the count of helices and strands per chain, organized by molecular entity. Essential for understanding protein fold topology. Get helix, sheet, and coil assignments per residue
Get summary on EBI PDBe
Use a 4-character PDB ID such as 1cbs, 4hhb, 6lu7. Get PDB entry summary with title, authors, and resolution
Get uniprot mapping on EBI PDBe
Returns UniProt accessions, chain assignments, and start/end position mappings. Essential for cross-referencing between protein sequence databases and 3D structural data. Get UniProt to PDB residue mappings
Search structures on EBI PDBe
Use natural language queries like "insulin receptor kinase", "SARS-CoV-2 spike protein", "cryo-EM resolution<3", or specific organism names. Returns PDB IDs, titles, methods, resolutions, and organisms. Search PDB structures with full-text queries
Connect EBI PDBe to VS Code Copilot via MCP
Follow these steps to wire EBI PDBe into VS Code Copilot. The entire setup takes under two minutes — your credentials stay safe behind Vinkius.
Create MCP config
.vscode/mcp.json file in your project rootAdd the server config
Enable Agent mode
Start using EBI PDBe
Why Use VS Code Copilot with the EBI PDBe MCP Server
GitHub Copilot for Visual Studio Code provides unique advantages when paired with EBI PDBe through the Model Context Protocol.
VS Code is used by over 70% of developers. adding MCP tools to Copilot means your team can leverage external data without leaving their primary editor
Project-scoped MCP configs (`.vscode/mcp.json`) let you commit server configurations to your repository, ensuring the entire team shares the same tool access
Copilot's Agent mode integrates MCP tools seamlessly with file editing, terminal commands, and workspace search in a single agentic loop
GitHub's enterprise compliance and audit features extend to MCP tool usage, providing visibility into how AI interacts with external services
EBI PDBe + VS Code Copilot Use Cases
Practical scenarios where VS Code Copilot combined with the EBI PDBe MCP Server delivers measurable value.
Live API integration: Copilot can query an MCP server, inspect the response schema, and generate typed API client code in the same step
DevSecOps workflows: security teams can give developers access to domain intelligence tools directly in their editor for real-time vulnerability assessment during code review
Data pipeline development: Copilot fetches sample data via MCP and generates transformation scripts, validators, and test fixtures from actual API responses
Documentation generation: Copilot queries available tools and auto-generates README sections, API reference docs, and usage examples
Example Prompts for EBI PDBe in VS Code Copilot
Ready-to-use prompts you can give your VS Code Copilot agent to start working with EBI PDBe immediately.
"Show me the structure summary and quality of the SARS-CoV-2 main protease (6lu7)."
"What ligands are bound in the hemoglobin structure 4hhb?"
"Search for cryo-EM structures of ribosome complexes."
Troubleshooting EBI PDBe MCP Server with VS Code Copilot
Common issues when connecting EBI PDBe to VS Code Copilot through Vinkius, and how to resolve them.
MCP tools not available
EBI PDBe + VS Code Copilot FAQ
Common questions about integrating EBI PDBe MCP Server with VS Code Copilot.
Which VS Code version supports MCP?
How do I switch to Agent mode?
Can I restrict which MCP tools Copilot can access?
Does MCP work in VS Code Remote or Codespaces?
.vscode/mcp.json work in Remote SSH, WSL, and GitHub Codespaces environments. The MCP connection is established from the remote host, so ensure the server URL is accessible from that environment.Explore More MCP Servers
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