MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research

Researchers at the MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research (CVR) have contributed one of the first large-scale community datasets to be integrated into the AlphaFold Protein Structure Database (AFDB), further strengthening global resources for viral research. 

Our Viro3D dataset is comprised of structure predictions for more than 85,000 proteins from over 4,400 viruses and is now openly available through the AFDB. This integration significantly expands structural coverage across the viral world, helping to illuminate previously underexplored regions of the viral proteome. 

The AFDB, jointly developed by EMBL’s European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI) and Google DeepMind, provides open access to over 200 million predicted protein structures. By welcoming high-quality, specialist community datasets generated using AlphaFold2, the database is evolving into a more inclusive and collaborative resource. 

For virology, this is a major step forward. Viruses often lack extensive experimental structural data, limiting our understanding of how viral proteins function, evolve, and interact with host cells. By making Viro3D predictions accessible through the AFDB platform, we are enabling researchers worldwide to: 

• Explore structural features of thousands of diverse viruses 

• Generate new hypotheses about viral protein function 

• Inform laboratory studies and antiviral development 

• Strengthen preparedness for emerging viral threats 

Dr Joe Grove has highlighted that “the AlphaFold revolution is having a transformative impact on molecular biology, providing new opportunities for fundamental discovery and accelerating the development of therapies against human disease. The inclusion of predicted structures for viral proteins in the AlphaFold Protein Structure Database will allow the virology community to benefit from the AlphaFold revolution, providing new perspectives on the origins and evolution of viruses, and informing lab-based investigations of viral protein mechanisms. Critically, this resource represents an invaluable stockpile of molecular knowledge that can be used to tackle existing and emergent viral threats to human health.”  

The integration of Viro3D into AFDB underscores the CVR’s commitment to open science, collaboration, and advancing fundamental understanding of viruses to protect human health. 

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First published: 25 February 2026