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EBI PDBe MCP Server

Bring Pdb
to VS Code Copilot

Learn how to connect EBI PDBe to VS Code Copilot and start using 16 AI agent tools in minutes. Fully managed, enterprise secure, and ready to use without writing a single line of code.

MCP Inspector GDPR Free for Subscribers
Get AssembliesGet Binding SitesGet CofactorsGet ExperimentGet Ligand MonomersGet Modified ResiduesGet MoleculesGet Mutated ResiduesGet PublicationsGet Quality ScoresGet Related EntriesGet Residue ListingGet Secondary StructureGet SummaryGet Uniprot MappingSearch Structures

Compatible with every major AI agent and IDE

ClaudeClaude
ChatGPTChatGPT
CursorCursor
GeminiGemini
WindsurfWindsurf
VS CodeVS Code
JetBrainsJetBrains
VercelVercel
+ other MCP clients
EBI PDBe

What is the 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.

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

How it works

  1. Subscribe to this server
  2. No API key required — the PDBe API is fully public
  3. Start querying 3D structures from Claude, Cursor, or any MCP-compatible client

Your AI agent becomes a structural biology research assistant with direct access to every experimentally determined protein structure. All data is sourced from the official PDBe REST API maintained by EMBL-EBI.

Who is this for?

  • Structural Biologists — retrieve structure metadata, quality assessments, and experimental parameters without downloading coordinate files
  • Drug Discovery Scientists — identify binding sites, ligand interactions, and cofactors for rational drug design
  • Bioinformaticians — cross-reference sequence data with 3D structural annotations via UniProt mappings
  • Educators & Students — explore real macromolecular structures for teaching protein chemistry and structural biology

Built-in capabilities (16)

get_assemblies

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

Critical for drug discovery, molecular docking, and understanding protein-ligand interactions. Get ligand binding site residues and interactions

get_cofactors

Cofactors like heme, NAD+, FAD, and metal ions are essential for enzyme catalysis and protein function. Get cofactor and prosthetic group annotations

get_experiment

Get experimental method details for a structure

get_ligand_monomers

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

Shows the parent compound ID and modification name. Get non-standard amino acids and nucleotides

get_molecules

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

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

Useful for finding the primary citation and methodology papers for a structure. Get associated journal publications and PubMed IDs

get_quality_scores

The first thing a structural biologist checks when evaluating a structure for reliability. Get global quality metrics for a structure

get_related_entries

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

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

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

Use a 4-character PDB ID such as 1cbs, 4hhb, 6lu7. Get PDB entry summary with title, authors, and resolution

get_uniprot_mapping

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

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

Why VS Code Copilot?

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.

  • 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

See it in action

EBI PDBe in VS Code Copilot

AI AgentVinkius
High Security·Kill Switch·Plug and Play
Why Vinkius

EBI PDBe and 4,000+ other MCP servers. One platform. One governance layer.

Teams that connect EBI PDBe to VS Code Copilot through Vinkius don't need to source, host, or maintain individual MCP servers. Every tool call runs inside a hardened runtime with credential isolation, DLP, and a signed audit chain.

4,000+MCP Servers ready
<40msCold start
60%Token savings
Raw MCP
Vinkius
Server catalogFind and host yourself4,000+ managed
InfrastructureSelf-hostedSandboxed V8 isolates
Credential handlingPlaintext in configVault + runtime injection
Data loss preventionNoneConfigurable DLP policies
Kill switchNoneGlobal instant shutdown
Financial circuit breakersNonePer-server limits + alerts
Audit trailNoneEd25519 signed logs
SIEM log streamingNoneSplunk, Datadog, Webhook
HoneytokensNoneCanary alerts on leak
Custom domainsNot applicableDNS challenge verified
GDPR complianceManual effortAutomated purge + export
Enterprise Security

Why teams choose Vinkius for EBI PDBe in VS Code Copilot

The EBI PDBe 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. All 16 tools execute in hardened sandboxes optimized for native MCP execution.

Your AI agents in VS Code Copilot only access the data you authorize, with DLP that blocks sensitive information from ever reaching the model, kill switch for instant shutdown, and up to 60% token savings. Enterprise-grade infrastructure, zero maintenance.

EBI PDBe
Fully ManagedVinkius Servers
60%Token savings
High SecurityEnterprise-grade
IAMAccess control
EU AI ActCompliant
DLPData protection
V8 IsolateSandboxed
Ed25519Audit chain
<40msKill switch
Stream every event to Splunk, Datadog, or your own webhook in real-time

* 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

The Vinkius Advantage

How Vinkius secures EBI PDBe for VS Code Copilot

Every tool call from VS Code Copilot to the EBI PDBe MCP Server is protected by DLP redaction, cryptographic audit chains, V8 sandbox isolation, kill switch, and financial circuit breakers.

< 40msCold start
Ed25519Signed audit chain
60%Token savings
FAQ

Frequently asked questions

01

Do I need an API key?

No. The PDBe API is completely public and requires no authentication. Enter any placeholder value in the API key field to activate the server immediately.

02

What types of structures are available?

The PDBe contains over 200,000 experimentally determined 3D structures of proteins, nucleic acids, and complex assemblies. Structures are determined by X-ray crystallography, cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM), NMR spectroscopy, and other methods. This includes enzymes, receptors, antibodies, viral proteins, ribosomes, and drug-target complexes.

03

Can I find drug binding sites?

Yes. Use get_binding_sites to retrieve all annotated ligand binding pockets with their constituent residues. Combine with get_ligand_monomers to identify the small molecules bound in the structure, and get_cofactors for prosthetic groups. This workflow is essential for structure-based drug design and virtual screening target preparation.

04

Which VS Code version supports MCP?

MCP support requires VS Code 1.99 or later with the GitHub Copilot extension. Ensure both are updated to the latest version. Older versions of Copilot may not expose the Agent mode toggle.

05

How do I switch to Agent mode?

Open the Copilot Chat panel and look for two mode options: "Ask" and "Agent". Click "Agent" to enable autonomous tool calling. In Ask mode, Copilot provides conversational answers but cannot invoke MCP tools.

06

Can I restrict which MCP tools Copilot can access?

Yes. VS Code shows a tool consent dialog before any MCP tool is invoked for the first time. You can also configure tool access policies at the organization level through GitHub Copilot settings.

07

Does MCP work in VS Code Remote or Codespaces?

Yes. MCP servers configured via .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.

08

MCP tools not available

Ensure you are in Agent mode in Copilot Chat. MCP tools only appear in Agent mode.

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